


Familia Penguina

by nishiki



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Ficlets, Gen, Jim & Oswald alliance, Jim & Oswald friendship, M/M, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, Murder Husbands, Oswald adopts kids left and right, Oswald has a family, Parent Edward Nygma, Parent Oswald Cobblepot, Penguin Family, Protective Oswald Cobblepot, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Somewhat, child Ivy Pepper, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-05-06 02:50:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 70,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14632545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishiki/pseuds/nishiki
Summary: This is the story of how a lonely Penguin on the verge of death found a family of his own.





	1. On Sundays we don't work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! This is very canon divergent! Certain things did happen that happened on the shows, others didn't or happened later. For a general overview:  
> \- Selina is between the ages of 15-16 and the dollmaker incident from season 1 happened after Oswald was shot by Edward.  
> \- Ivy is still a child between the ages of 11-12  
> \- Martin's story is almost the same as in the show, he is about 9-10 years old

During the many years that Jim Gordon had already served Gotham as part of the Gotham City Police Department, he had seen many weird things without any doubt about it. Masked Killers and people coming back from the dead like Christ reincarnated being only the top of the iceberg. By now, years after he had first come back to Gotham and got his badge, Jim knew that beyond the dark murky waters of Gotham lay true depravity. He wasn’t that naive young cop anymore with the boy scout attitude his partner Harvey used to make fun of. By now, he was aware that he could not change this city completely because that would mean ripping out its heart and destroying its foundation. Crime would always be a part of Gotham - only the type of crime might change in time.

And, in all honesty, Jim Gordon would take a Gotham ruled by the mob over a Gotham ruled by lunatics in weird costumes every day, now that almost five years had passed after he had gotten his first faithful case with the GCPD. A case that had delivered him new friends and numerous unlikely allies.

However, every time that Jim was certain that Gotham could not surprise him any more than it already had, and that he had truly seen it all by now, the seedy underbelly of Gotham's organized (and sometimes not so very organized) criminal underworld would throw something new at him as if to mock him and everything he stood for. He was almost glad that, at the moment, the worst they had to deal with was a bunch of bank robberies. However, Oswald Cobblepot was only one of the few individuals who Jim knew for years who could still surprise him.

Looking back on it, he had never been too fond of working with the former mobster. He had hated himself every time he had accepted one of his favors, knowing that Oswald would indeed ask for something he didn't wish to give him, further down the road. And yet, though he had often been angry about the price he had to pay, he had never been devastated by it for Oswald had never asked anything of him that could have been considered too much. Again and again, the Penguin had asked only for his friendship and Jim had denied him exactly that too again and again.

Yet, here he was - again - parking his car in the driveway of Oswald’s lavish mansion at the outskirts of town. The old Victorian house seemed to come straight out of an old-timey black and white horror movie as it was towering above everything else in the area on a small hill, surrounded by a lavish plot of land rich with trees and greenery. Most of the time he came here - which was certainly not too often it could be seen as unprofessional - he expected thunder and lighting right above the mansion.

Of course, the house was just as stubborn as it's owner and would not give him that.

It was Friday and Jim had spent the entire week trying to figure out a bank robbery that had taken place on Sunday. He didn't much like coming to Oswald for help but in this case, he found that he didn't have much of a choice. After all, Oswald’s _husband_ happened to be one of Gotham's most prolific alleged bank robbers. Hell, talking about Edward Nygma as Oswald Cobblepot’s husband still felt odd, maybe even a little wrong.

Yet, that latest bank robbery had _allegedly_ Edward Nygma’s signature all over it. Including the question mark that he, Edward, _allegedly_ liked to leave behind. Harvey had asked him with great concern what he wanted to do if it really had been Nygma's work. Three people were dead, after all. Usually, the answer would be clear, wouldn't it? However, nothing about this was _the usual_ and Ed Nygma was the husband of Gotham's number one crime boss and mayor. In addition to that, Oswald Cobblepot had made it pretty clear in the past that he did not take too kindly to anyone who would try to mess with his family. Jim had shed his more naive persona in the last years, so he would not even dare to think that Oswald would forgive him would he attack his husband in any which way. He might have held a special place in Oswald’s heart before, he probably still did, but it was clear that he would now gladly slit Jim’s throat would it save his family.

As he rung the doorbell, he did not know what to expect to find inside of the Van Dahl mansion. Needless to say, Oswald had inherited the house and everything else from his late father Elijah Van Dahl under truly dubious circumstances a few years ago, just after Oswald had met him only days before his tragic passing. Coincidence, of course. Then again, though Harvey was still of the opinion that this had been Oswald’s doing, Jim wasn’t so certain about that. Oswald was a man who valued family greatly, after all.

Did he expect some super secret crime-family meet up? Possibly. Did he expect some weird ass orgy with all kinds of creepy costumes? Maybe. Murder, blood and gore all over the respectable Van Dahl estate? Perhaps. Did he expect to find none other than Gabe, Oswald’s trusted bodyguard with the sour face, wearing fluffy pink loafers and shrill laughter coming from the living room? Absolutely not.

Whatever this party was that Jim had just stumbled right into, Gabe did not seem all too thrilled to be a part of it. Oswald had once described him as a human labrador to Jim and though this was usually somewhat true, right now he looked terribly annoyed with his boss and everyone else in this big house. He seemed annoyed by Jim too as he let the detective step inside despite the late hour.

»Boss is in the living room.« He muttered, not questioning the reason for Jim’s late night visit or whom he wanted to see. Who would have thought that, after everything, Gabe would still be at Oswald’s side years later? He was still Oswald’s most trusted henchman, in addition to Butch Gilzean, he might add, after the brute had escaped the thralls of Tabitha Galavan for good. Somehow, Oswald had managed to gain loyalty from both Gabe and Butch throughout everything and despite every betrayal. Maybe it was the softer side of Oswald that they had undoubtedly seen by now that had swayed both men.

The mansion, which looked dark and gloomy during daytime already, appeared straight out of a nightmare during these late hours with the portraits of long-forgotten family members plastered all over the wooden paneled walls as Gabe led him further into the bowels of the mansion.

Needless to say, there were many odd images that were popping into his head all too readily while he followed Gabe down the hall and towards the private living room a bit further back in the house. The closer they came the louder the noise grew. The shrill laughter of a little girl, was certainly the last he would have ever expected to hear inside this house. Still, the sound only brought warmth to Jim’s heart instead of chills running down his spine as he knew who the voice belonged to.

The first time that Oswald had thoroughly surprised Jim was when he became the king of Gotham after being just Fish Mooney's umbrella boy, dying and coming back stronger than ever before. The second time Oswald had managed to surprise Jim anew was when he ascended to the office of mayor of Gotham with a landslide and, furthermore, _honest_ victory over his opponent Aubrey James after he had lost everything, even his sanity, in this whole Theo Galavan debacle. The third time he had surprised Jim was as Oswald had decided that he would marry the man who had shot him in the guts only months before.

The fourth time that Oswald Cobblepot had invented himself anew and thus surprised Jim and probably everyone else in this city to no end, however, was when Oswald had decided that he would adopt three of Gotham's many orphans and open his house to them one after another.

It had begun with a girl named Selina Kyle, Cat, as she liked to be called by most people. One year ago, as she had needed protection the most, she had come to Jim. Someone calling himself the dollmaker had collected kids from the streets and Selina had been the one valuable witness they, the GCPD, had had in the case. It had seemed like fate that at the time he had also had an injured mayor hidden away at his apartment. Though Selina had not wanted anyone’s protection and most certainly not that of the GCPD, he had found a friend in Oswald. And, shortly thereafter, the mayor and mob boss had taken her under his wings.

Ivy Pepper, who was not much younger than Selina, had followed only a few months after that when the typical Gotham winter had grown it's coldest. Both her parents had died shortly after the other, leaving her alone and vulnerable for quite some time. Oswald had never told him the story of how he came to meet the young girl or what led him to the decision of officially adopting her. Jim did not believe that it was sheer the goodness of Oswald’s heart or Selina asking him to take her friend in as well. Surely, there was another story there and surely, he would never hear it.

The last family member, Oswald had found in an orphanage owned by the daughter of Carmine Falcone, a mute boy named Martin. He had never seen Oswald or Edward as parental figures and to everyone who had heard of the growing Cobblepot-Nygma family it had come as a shock. However,  what he got to see this night, cast a shadow over everything that came before and truly took the cake when it came to Oswald Cobblepot surprising him.

Jim had seen Oswald in an array of weird outfits over the course of their odd little friendship, but certainly he had never seen him dressed in his pajamas and with something that looked like mud all over his face, his hair sticking up even more oddly than ever before to keep it from falling in his face.

Where the hell had he stumbled into?

At first, before Gabe announced his arrival with an impressive harrumph, neither Oswald nor two of his three children had heard them over the loudly running TV - some chick flick that Lee had once forced him to watch which name he couldn't even recall to this day.

At least Oswald was not alone in his odd getup as it turned out as Jim walked further into the room and spotted Oswald, Ivy and Martin all gathered in front of the TV on the surely ridiculously expensive carpet with blankets and pillows all around them and a mountain of snacks.

Ivy Pepper wore just the same outfit of pajamas and mud on her face as she was currently applying that weird slimy mud to the face of the youngest member of their mismatched little family. Martin could not even tell his sister to stop the torture as Ivy laughed gleefully over the grimace he was pulling, cheered on only by Oswald who seemed to approve of this kind of warfare between siblings. He was teaching them both to become ruthless criminals and torturers already without a doubt. For a moment, Jim was floored by this display of complete and utter normalcy in this household, just Oswald enjoying time with his kids - no matter how weird they spent it.

»Do I need to make an arrest or are you taking this stuff away from your brother freely, young lady?« Jim finally announced his presence to the group and was satisfied to see how Ivy actually raised her hands in surrender. The slime on her fingers dropped slowly on the carpet. Oswald did not seem to be bothered in any way as he got up and limped his way over to Jim at the door with that same cheerful smile that usually sent shivers down Jim's spine. It had lost it's shark-like expression somehow. Maybe due to the mud. Huh. Who would have thought?

»Jim!« He exclaimed overly gleeful. »I didn't expect to see you here tonight! Come to join the party?«

»Clearly.« Jim smirked but as per usual, Oswald ignored his remark.

»What can I do for you, old friend? I would offer you a mud mask too but I am assuming that you are on duty.« A mud mask, so that was what was on his face right now. He didn't even want to ask, really. Oswald had always been an odd guy and putting on mud masks was certainly not the weirdest he had ever imagined Oswald to do.

»I am here for your husband, actually.«

»Oh, Jim.« Oswald glanced over his shoulder to a snickering Ivy and a grinning Martin. »Always such a tease. Do not make me jealous, you know what allegedly happened to the last person who came between me and Edward. All hearsay, of course.«

»Of course.« Jim rolled his eyes. It was not as if he would not recall the incident with that young woman, Isabella, a few years ago. He did not condone what Oswald had allegedly done but it was not his place to look into that case again now. Sleeping dogs and all that. »It's about a bank robbery, Oswald. Surely, you've heard about it. Three dead. I thought it would be nice to get Ed’s expertise on the case.«

»You think it was him?« Oswald asked with a smirk on his face. »Of course, I heard about it. These thugs left Ed’s _alleged_ signature all over the crime scene, right? Anyway, he isn't home.«

»So where is he then?«

»Date night.«

Another surprise for Detective James Gordon. »I beg your pardon? Didn't you just warn me about not making you jealous and now you are allowing your husband to see someone else?«

Oswald just huffed out a chuckle at that. »Get your mind out of the gutter, Jim! He's going out with our daughter. Friday night is date night.«

»And what about you guys?« He asked with furrowed brows and pointed at Oswald and the other two kids. Wasn’t it unfair to single one child out of the group to go out with one of the parents while the others stayed back? Then again, Selina was in the midst of puberty and needed a different kind of attention then the younger two.

»We have a pajama party as you can see.« Oswald snickered. »Tonight it was Ivy’s time to choose what we would do and she decided we would have a girl’s night.«

That actually explained a lot and made Jim consider how it was possible that two infamous criminals seemed much more capable parents than most normal folks he knew - including Jim himself. It was almost cute that Oswald Cobblepot, the terror of Gotham, would not only allow his adopted daughter a girl’s night but actively play a role in it too. Not many fathers would do that for their own daughters.

»Anyway, it wasn't Ed.« Oswald then quickly continued. »Whoever robbed this bank and killed those people tries to either frame him or get his attention. A crazy fan of _the Riddler_ perhaps.«

»And why should I believe that?« Jim was still not ready to just buy all of this so easily. Maybe because it was hard to imagine that, for once, Nygma and Cobblepot were the good guys. Maybe because all of this was just so plain weird. Anyway, he would not just accept Oswald’s words as he might as well was just protecting his husband. He would have expected nothing less from the Penguin.

»Because we don't work on Sundays, right?« Oswald glanced over his shoulder again and was met with cheerful nodding. »Sundays are for the family.«

 

**-End of Chapter 1-**


	2. The Alley Cat

Jim Gordon's apartment was small and covered in suspicious stains all over. That was the first impression Oswald got of the place after he escaped Death once more. It was moldy in some of the darker corners and an unpleasant smell was lingering all around. Not to mention that Oswald did not trust the shower curtain in the bathroom. The sleeping arrangement too was far from being ideal. There were only one bed and the moldy couch and where his traitorous heart might have fluttered at the thought years ago, now it just let him concerned and bothered. Not because of the prospect of having to share a bed with Jim, of course.

It surely was not Oswald’s problem what fate would befall this one teenage girl out of the thousands of teenage girls about which he did not care either, as he decided while looking at her. After all, he was the man known as ‘the Penguin’ to this city and not some good samaritan - not by a long shot. And this girl, Selina, was a thin little thing. Barely a teenager even. Still, Oswald had always had a hard time denying his good old friend James Gordon anything at all in spite of Jim vehemently insisting that they were no friends.

»I don't know why it should be my concern what happens to this girl, James.« He huffed impatiently and pulled the soft blanket that he had stolen from the cupboard tighter around his shoulders. He hated to admit to his weakness but it was probably all too evident at this point.

However, Jim was at the very least just as impatient as he was and that showed right in that moment as he pulled out his phone from the inside pocket of his god-awful suit jacket. »Do you wish to stay safe and hidden from Nygma or should I call him and tell him where he can find you to finish the job?«

He shouldn't even consider giving him a proper answer to that. In fact, he actually did his best not to spit out something venomous that might anger Jim as he clenched his lips into a tight line to keep the words from spilling. »It is not the polite thing to threaten a dying man, Jim.« He instead huffed and pulled his blanket even closer to his chin. He was cold all the goddamn time. Then again, this was hardly a surprise. It was a miracle that he was still alive, after all.

»You are not dying, Oswald.« Jim’s words came out more like an exasperated sigh than anything but he still held onto his phone threateningly.

»Not anymore, that might be true but how should I take care of a teenage girl while recovering from a gunshot wound to my guts? Maybe you have noticed that I can hardly move without your help and I find you lacking in this department.«

The wound was healing but only slowly and only thanks to Jim who had found him quick enough after Oswald had dragged himself into safety, clawing at the dirt and grime of the shore where the Gotham river was shallow. It stung, of course, both the betrayal and the bullet wound. Had Jim not found him in time, had he not been able to get his hands on that phone … Better not think about it, he warned himself. What hurt the most, though, was his broken heart and his hurt pride.

»I don't believe that you don't know any safer place to hide that poor girl than this.« Said girl, Selina, too seemed not all too excited about the prospect to share a place with someone like Oswald Cobblepot for the coming days - or for however long it would take Jim to find the person who was after the girl. Her whole body language, as he stood slightly behind Jim and very close to the door, told him that she was not very trusting of the police in general. He couldn't blame her. The GCPD was a bunch of corrupt idiots, after all.

»You were not complaining when you started raiding my fridge. My apartment, my rules. I learned the hard way that it's sometimes best to hide things in plain sight - where no one would even consider searching. Neither Nygma nor the people interested in her would come looking for you at the apartment of a detective of the GCPD.«

»Oh, don't be so humble now, James.« He purred and gained himself an eye-roll from Selina who had been suspiciously quiet until now. »We both know that you are not just some detective of the GCPD.« Though it was, of course, right what he said and they both knew this too - which made it only more frustrating for Oswald. He hated nothing more than admitting defeat, especially now as it seemed to become a more common occurrence.

He knew that there was no point in discussing this any further, so he didn't. He didn't like it but he could admit when he was defeated. »As you said: Your house, your rules.« He said sweetly feigning a pleasant smile only to be met with Jim's very sceptical gaze.

※※※※※※※

Oswald had never been much of a fan of overly nosy people, simply because those kinds of people only meant trouble in his line of work. So, in other words, to him the way this girl, Selina, kept staring at him from her spot on Jim's favorite armchair was quite unnerving after a while. It was their second day together in Jim Gordon’s crappy apartment and Oswald was already in agony.

»So you fell in love with the man who tried to murder you.« She broke the silence that had established between them until now and Oswald wished with all his heart that she hadn't. It would have been better for the both of them would she not have opened her mouth but rather acted as if the other person wasn’t even there.

»In my defense: I fell in love with him _before_ he tried to kill me.« He huffed from his spot on the sofa that he had already adopted as his spot. Jim’s flat was not as big as the place he had shared with Barbara when Oswald first met Jim almost three years ago and of course he only had one bed - in which he hardly slept because he had apparently adopted the lifestyle of a vampire by this point. Jim was actually rarely home to deal with his guests but he had been gracious enough to rule that Oswald got the bed and Selina the sofa during the nights. After all, Oswald was the one with the gunshot wound, right?

»Ah, I see … Yeah, that's different.« Selina shrugged but did not return her attention to the TV as he hoped she would. Apparently, she was out to annoy him on this day. Her tone was beyond just sarcastic, it was actually meant as a mockery and Selina made no effort of hiding it in any which way either which only made the sting in his gut where the bullet had ripped through him worse.

»It _is_ different.« He clarified, his voice firm, only to betray his statement with his next words. »It's difficult.« He added quieter than before and knew that he sounded almost unsure of his own statement. But it was. Matters of the heart were always considerably more difficult than matters of the mind. His mother had once warned him about that and as always, she had been right. Oswald had always been a man who could trust his own intellect and wits. He might not be book smart like Edward, had never enjoyed academics, but that didn't change a thing about his intelligence. He had never had a problem when it came to looking straight through another person’s facade and see their true intentions. Only as it came to Edward Nygma his intellect had failed him. Then again, his heart had always been his greatest weakness.

»So what's the story then?« Selina asked as she sprawled over Jim’s battered old armchair which Oswald had until now only acknowledged with disgust for the suspicious stains all over the worn-out fabric. He could see now why she was called ‘Cat’ by some, including Jim.

»You are a little too nosy for my taste.« Oswald replied tight-lipped and stilted and pulled his blanket tighter around his body as if he could shield himself from Selina’s questions this way. They both knew that there was no escape from a fifteen year old girl, though. She would bother him until he would either kill her or until he would give up. And since it was against his rules to kill innocent children, he might as well just get it over with.  

»Hey man, not that I am that interested in your sob-story but I mean we have time to kill, right? So you might as well tell me. We could gossip and plan your revenge.« The grin she shot him was almost reassuring, as if she would see something but the dangerous criminal that everyone else saw in him. This was, of course, not the case.

»And paint each others nails?« He snorted. »Oh please, Darling, spare me. Besides, I am not much interested in taking revenge on Ed.«

»Bummer.« She sighed. »I mean, that's not what I expected from the great big bad Penguin, the terror of Gotham. It's true what they say: You've grown soft since you became mayor.«

»I've not grown soft.« He spat. »But how would I expect some alley cat as you to understand the finer workings of an adult’s mind.«

»I understand more than you think, you arrogant douche. Don't forget I worked with Fish once and she told me a great many things about her darling umbrella boy.«

»It is not wise to vex the Penguin, young Lady, and you are indeed vexing me! So if you rather survive your stay at casa Gordon, you better watch that mouth of yours now!«

She just snorted. »It's true what they say about short guys, you know? They are easy to anger.«

As Oswald threw his book at her, she was quick to dodge the attack with a laugh leaving her mouth and Oswald decided that he would add yet another name to his ever-growing kill-list. Needless to say, their relationship did not magically get better from then on.

※※※※※※※

Oswald would admit that he was probably not in the best state of mind anyway during this time and his prolonged stay at Casa Gordon. Then again, he would claim that this had to have been expected after being shot by one’s best friend and then pushed in the Gotham river. He could be glad that he was still alive, after all! Only God knew what was in that water. The infection that had followed the initial attack had almost killed him.  

»You know, you really are quite annoying, Mr. Penguin.« Selina sighed one morning over a cup of coffee and Oswald bit back the question if she was even old enough to drink coffee yet. »I would really appreciate it if you could stop sleep talking.«

»I do not sleep-talk.« His response came quickly with a low little growl over his own cup of coffee. There had been a time when he had detested the taste of it. Well, he had grown throughout the years. If not in height at least in taste. Or maybe he had just acknowledged the necessity of caffeine after everything he'd been through. At least Jim was not around to try and force him to drink broth or whatever weird mac and cheese concoction he called dinner. Though he was sleeping in Jim’s bedroom and Selina in the living room, they could still hear each other no matter what and that was slowly starting to grind on his nerves.

»Uh … Yes, you do!«

»Uh ... No, I don't!«

» _Edward, please! Edward you can't do this!«_ She suddenly turned on him in the best whining voice she seemed able to muster this early in the day and Oswald could already feel the heat flaring in his cheeks. »Even in your dreams, you are such a drama queen!«

»I am _not_ a drama queen!«

»No, I am sorry.« Selina sighed and drove a hand through her curly hair making a complete mess out of it. »You are not a drama queen, you are a full-blown diva!«

He _could_ scream at her or throw his knife. Sure. Jim would probably not much appreciate the blood on his dirty carpet, though. Not that it would make much of a difference but as long as he was in need of a safe hiding space from Edward, he could not risk attracting his resentment. So, instead of murdering the teenager, he curled his lips into a small bitter smile and blinked slowly at her. »So. I am a full-blown diva, you say. Please elaborate what you mean by that.«

Selina frowned before emptying her cup. »You are just so _extra_!« She snorted but continued after he raised his left eyebrow. »I mean, for example, you always - always - use up all the hot water in the morning! Thanks, by the way! You take much too long in the bathroom and for what I wonder. You are not leaving the apartment and stay all day huddled in your blanket on the sofa like some sad burrito watching crappy soap operas! So, why do you need so much time every morning, Jesus Christ? I am a teenage girl, shouldn't I be the one who needs hours to get ready? And I believe Jim is getting fed up with your special wishes too. I mean soy milk? Who even drinks that crap? And if you don't like coffee, maybe you should refrain from pouring pounds of sugar and milk into a cup and just drink tea instead? Oh, and don't even get me started on your eating habits or your singing in the shower! Really, I can understand why this Nygma guy shot you!«

As she ended her little monologue she looked almost as if she really expected to be killed by Oswald with the spoon he held in his hand to munch his cornflakes. The soy milk in them suddenly tasted sour. And though everything inside of Oswald screamed to do exactly that, he spent a moment just staring at her in complete silence before he felt how the corners of his mouth started to curl upwards.

There was nothing funny about this at all and even the sheer audacity that she claimed to understand why Ed had shot him should enrage him. Yet, he burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. They were together in this apartment for only one week at this point and already he had started bickering with a teenage girl as if he himself was nothing but a teenage boy.

Though she started chuckling as well, she looked at him as if he had now finally fully lost his marbles. »You know what?« He huffed. »Maybe you are right. Maybe I am a little _extra_.« And he could probably not deny that he was indeed a diva. In his eyes, his mother was to blame for this. He had grown up in a world that was not even remotely like the one outside of the door of his mother's apartment and in a city that in itself was weird enough already. It had probably been inevitable to become a bit of a diva.

As for the other thing, yes, maybe he understood why Ed had shot him too. He couldn't help but remember how he had called him at work all the time back when Edward had actually nursed him back to health the first time around. He had to have been the most annoying roommate in existence and yet, Ed had not demanded him to leave even once. He had accepted all his little quirks and his weird habits. They had been friends. True friends and he had loved him.

»What?« Selina asked and her face dropped a little. »You look weird. Weirder than usual. What is it? Do you have a stroke? I mean you are ancient, but certainly too young to have a stroke, right?«

»I just remembered something.« Oswald found himself muttering into his bowl of cornflakes. He hadn't realized how his face had fallen at the memories of Edward but Selina proved that he was not completely useless.

»Is it because this Nygma-guy? Forensics-dude?« She asked almost concerned even though only when taking her wrinkled forehead into consideration. Surely, she was not truly concerned about him. It was pretty clear that she didn't like him.

»We were friends, you know?« He murmured while at the same time he didn't even know why he was opening up to her about all of this. He didn't wish to, for sure. He hardly knew that girl and yet he couldn't stop his mouth. His heart had always been on his sleeve, after all. »We were good friends. He was my best friend. He was the person closest to me after my mother and my father died. I trusted him with everything, and yes, I loved him.«

»Why did he shoot you?« Her voice was much calmer and quieter as she spoke again and she dropped her eyes curtly into her own bowl of cereal if only for a moment as if averting her eyes from something she was not supposed to see. He began to think that Selina and he might not be that different after all. She seemed like a girl who was not too fond of talking about her emotions too but certainly for a litany of different reasons.

»He … I killed his girlfriend.« Oswald finally admitted. »Or rather I had her killed.«

»Wow … That is … such a douchey thing to do.« She sounded as if he had just spit in Isabella’s coffee and not had one of his henchmen cut her brakes.

»I know.« He sighed defeated. »I see that now. It's just … I was so jealous. I planned on telling him how I felt towards him and he met her as if fate itself had decided to intervene. And this woman … Ed only fell for her because she resembled his ex-girlfriend to a ridiculous degree. He hardly knew her and yet he was convinced to love her. And I just knew that he would kill her sooner or later and then the murder of the woman he loved might have killed him too, you know?«

»Please, Mr. Penguin, don't try to sound selfless now.« Selina shrugged. »I am no judge. You were jealous and you had her killed, end of story. That was a crappy thing you did to your best friend. You should have just told him the truth. You should have told him how you feel about this woman and about him and then have him decide. I mean, I’ve seen the TV reports and seen the pictures of you guys in the press … That guy looked at you as if you hung the stars in the sky. He might have decided against her and for you if you had just told him.«

He didn't want to hear these things and Selina knew this. She had to know, yet she continued without mercy. »So, in the end, it was not him who betrayed you but you who betrayed both of you. An eye for an eye, right?«

»Are you saying that he was right in wanting to murder me?«

»I am saying that I can understand his outrage.« Selina sighed. »Look at it from his perspective. You were his best friend and he trusted you. He fell in love-« Oswald snorted and Selina rolled her eyes. »Okay, he thought to have fallen in love with that woman and he, of course, immediately told the person closest to him, the person most important to him: You. His best friend. But you killed her. No matter if he truly loved her or not, you betrayed his trust. You betrayed him and your friendship and everything you guys could have had. You even took the opportunity from him to decide whether to choose you over her or not. You never gave him a chance, Mr. Penguin. And you know … I can understand you too. I was jealous before too. I know how crappy you must have felt seeing him with her. But love means sacrifice and sometimes you have to let people go in order to have them return to you.«

He wanted to spit insults at this girl for having the audacity to talk to him in such a condescending way. What gave her the right to speak to him like this and claim to know all these things? She was a child! She was barely a teen! What experience did she truly have in those matters? Then again, what experience did he have? Still, he knew what she meant and she was right. He had never given Ed the opportunity to choose him and this mainly because he wouldn't have thought anyone would ever want to choose him. After all, unlike Selina, he would always get to be second choice at best and only if he were lucky. Had he given Ed the opportunity to choose … He would have chosen her over him in a heartbeat and not only would this have made things more awkward between them, it would have hurt his pride even more than it already had.

No, the truth was that a man like Edward would never choose someone like him and he had known that from the start. That didn't mean it hurt any less. »You are very wise for a child.« Oswald finally stated after he swallowed the bile in his throat and opted for a pleasant smile that would probably never reach his eyes.  

»I am fifteen, Gramps.«

※※※※※※※

Oswald was shaken awake when the night had turned the darkest. There was no denying what had led to him jolting awake so suddenly. No illusion about it or just being a bad dream again. No, this time it actually was the door to Jim Gordon’s crappy apartment in downtown Gotham that was being kicked down in the middle of the night.

He shot upright and got up from Jim’s bed before he could think about it, certain that Ed had finally found him and was here to kill him once and for all. No pier this time, no last words, just a bullet right between his eyes and his blood and brains all over Jim’s walls. The wound in his gut protested as he jumped to his feet so quickly and Selina was at his side that very same moment before he could have even left the bedroom. Even in the darkness of the apartment and the lack of light coming from outside, he could still see her panicked gaze.

She had been too quickly by his side for her not to have heard the intruders before they had actually broken down the door. While his sleep was usually quite deep thanks to the heavy painkillers he was on, hers was apparently pretty light. This thought made him pause for just a second. She could have escaped the apartment through the fire escape probably before Oswald had even known that something wasn't right. Yet, she hadn't. Maybe he was putting too much thought into all of this after he had just awoken from his slumber.

»Where are you little alley cat? We know you are here!« As the realization hit him that it wasn't Ed, Oswald acted without thinking. He shoved Selina behind him and closer to the bedroom window.

»The window, quick!« He whispered and to his relief, she would not argue with him. Instead, she slipped closer to the bedroom window just as the invaders had found the light switch inside the living room.

»Quick!« Selina hissed at Oswald as she fought with the always jammed window. He knew that they couldn't both make it out in time as he already hear the heavy footsteps approach the bedroom door. Nevermind the fact that he could impossibly climb down the ladder with his injuries. He would just slow her down and that could mean a bullet for them both.

»Just go already!« He shot back at her and before she could say anything or before he could rethink his plan of action, he found himself already ripping open the bedroom door and charging at the invaders. He knew that there wasn't much he could do, but at the very least he could buy Selina some time to get out the window and hopefully down the fire escape.

He decided to utilize the moment of surprise to his advantage as he charged at the men with one loud growl. He was not much of a challenge for the two men who had barged into the flat, of course, and that not only because of his injury and fever. Though he struggled with them quite a lot to give Selina more time, he was soon knocked down to the ground and a kick to the head made him black out almost immediately.

When he came back to his senses his head was pounding and specks of black ink were dancing in front of his very eyes. The world around him was quiet except for the ringing noise in his head. With a moan he pressed his hand to the back of his head. He felt something sticky on his face, undoubtedly blood from his nose. It was still dark inside the flat so he couldn't have been knocked out for too long, he assumed but before he could fully grasp the situation anyway, he heard footsteps rushing towards him - although it sounded as if an elephant was quickly approaching. His first instinct was to shield his head and face from yet another attack but sure enough, that didn't even seem necessary.

»Oswald!« The voice was familiar and yet he only groaned in response as Jim’s shout did not really lessen the impact of his massive headache. »What happened?« He wanted to bit back a comment like ‘How in the Hell should I know?’ but didn't find the proper motivation for it as he tried to sit up and failed miserably at his first attempt.

»Where’s Selina?« He instead found himself asking though his words came out sluggish, maybe even slurred. Chances were good that he had a concussion and he could feel something damp through his clothes. Sure enough, he had started bleeding through his bandages once more. »I told her to run … Did she make it?« He blamed his concussion that he actually cared for the young girl who had been such a nuisance to him ever since this little arrangement started.

»She is on the way to the hospital, Oswald. And so should you.«

»What do you mean?« He groaned again.

»She was pushed down the fire escape. We found her as we got the call about a break in. Harvey is with her for now.« The news took a moment to process in his injured head but when it did, he almost pushed back to his feet. He didn't care much for that girl, at least that's what he told himself. Yet, it was also true that she was but an innocent child who had maybe witnessed something she shouldn't have witnessed. And he, a grown man, had not been able to protect her. Then again, was this really his fault? »You should've been here.« He turned against Jim instead with a hiss because this was all he could think of right now. He always lashed out on others when he didn't know what else to do. »You told her she would be safe here but you weren't here to protect her.«

»I was out there trying to find that monster who kidnaps those children, the one who was after Selina!« He was right, but that didn't mean that Oswald would just accept it like that. He was much better in directing his anger at someone else, someone like Jim, than someone who was probably far away and had yet to be caught. »And now … Can you get up? I’ll drive you to the hospital. This wound should be looked at.«

»I can't go to the hospital.« His answer came swiftly once more. »Ed is still after me.«

»He won’t try to kill you when you are under police protection.«

»What show have you been watching?« Oswald snorted and clutched his head. He could feel the blood between his fingers. Jim was right, of course. He needed the hospital, whether he liked it or not, yet the fear was almost paralyzing to him. The fear that Edward Nygma would soon find out that he had survived the attempt of murdering him. He knew that, as soon as Edward would learn the truth, he would come after him again and that time, he would succeed in killing his former best friend because Oswald was in no condition to fight him off whether he liked to admit it or not.

»No … No, I can't go to the hospital, Jim. I have to … I need Gabe.« He needed to rebuild his empire. He needed to get his allies back on his side right that moment before it was too late. He needed Gabe, but most importantly, he needed Zsasz. However, the moment he finally fought himself back to his feet, the world turned upside down again and Oswald fell into an endless abyss.

※※※※※※※

Never had it been clearer to Oswald that he was not in control than in the moment he woke up in some hospital bed in the dreaded Gotham City General Hospital. Just lying in those white sheets made him feel even sicker and closer to his death than the bullet that Jim Gordon had dug out of his guts a little while ago. The only thing giving him an inkling of hope that everything might turn out well for him, was the presence of Victor Zsasz at his bedside, watching him like a shark. This might have been unsettling to some but to Oswald his presence meant comfort in some twisted way.

It turned out that, during his fight with the attackers, the wound in his stomach had reopened and started bleeding and, after he had passed out in Jim’s apartment once again, the detective had been forced to call an ambulance once more, this time for the mayor who was bleeding out on his carpet. Oswald was certain that, by now, the entire city knew that he was still alive and in hospital. Which meant that Aubrey James had no inkling of hope to reclaim his position as mayor any time soon. It also meant that Edward would soon arrive at the hospital either to finish the job or to act as his concerned chief of staff who had been filling in for his former best friend. Victor Zsasz’s presence at his side, however, calmed him and allowed him the rest he so desperately needed.

And yet, once more he was surprised as Edward did not visit him at the hospital, neither to kill him nor to put on an act for the public. News quickly reached him that Edward had gone into hiding, certainly aware of Oswald’s desire for revenge. Meanwhile, the public was demanding his resignation after all the mess before he had vanished. He still didn't know what to do about it and was glad that he could hide in this hospital for just a little while longer until he would have found an answer of how to face the public.

Three days went by before he was allowed to leave his bed again. Three days with no news about Selina except for the fact that she was lying in a coma. Her fall had been devastating just as her injuries and the doctors were not quite certain that she would make it. At least Oswald could rest assured that her little boyfriend, Bruce Wayne, would do everything in his power to make sure Selina would get only the best treatment. At the end of his first week in the hospital, Oswald had decided upon a course of action and left the hospital against the doctors' advice. He made a show of it. He made sure that the good people of Gotham would know that their mayor was going against the doctors' advice to return to his office to serve the city. He was picked up by the car he used for official business and driven straight back to city hall from the hospital.

Already he had ushered a statement that would not only explain his sudden disappearance during the night of Jerome Valeska’s night of anarchy but why he had behaved so strangely in the interview with Margaret Hearst shortly before his disappearance. Edward had unwillingly played right into his cards as he had decided to kill Oswald while the city had still been in an uproar from Jerome’s latest stunt. So, Oswald’s claim to have been kidnapped and shot during that very night by masked thugs, only to then be hidden by police for the time of his recovery, was all too believable. Meanwhile, he wasn't quite sure why he wasn't stating the truth and why he was inevitably protecting Edward with his statement.

After all, Ed had betrayed and shot him. And yet, with no word did Oswald’s statement mention his former chief of staff. Not even the statement about his failed interview mentioned him and his involvement. Instead, the statement claimed an illness and a bad case of fever that had caused Oswald’s erraticness during the interview. Fever, lack of sleep and medication. That was all. And Gotham believed him. The people still believed in him as he showed himself to them, leaning heavier than ever on his cane to make sure that they would see how much strength it cost their mayor to be back to protect them.

They were all too eager to buy his stories. Even the story of how he had been under police protection for the last couple of days before he had been attacked again and forced into the hospital.

He could deem himself lucky, he assumed, that the people of Gotham wanted to believe him and yet, as he returned to his home for the first time after all of this happened, the house felt empty and dark. He would deny it to everyone who might ask, but it was true that, during the following two weeks, he visited the hospital almost every day. He would also deny that he missed his banter with Selina. Maybe he had taken her a little too deeply into his heart during those days in Jim Gordon’s crappy little apartment.

Yet, he felt alone in this big house, even with Victor and Gabe around, even with his staff returning to him once after the other, even with Butch finally returning to his side.

»I must say, you have my respect.« Jim told him one evening as the detective had finally accepted his invitation into his home for once and sat down with Oswald in front of the marble fireplace with a glass of the finest red wine he had to offer at the moment. His wine cellar was starting to run out of bottles. Maybe he was drinking a bit more than usual. The truth was, he had his office back and his position as king of Gotham too and that in such a short amount of time, yet, it brought him no happiness. It was challenging and he loved a good challenge but there was something missing in all of this and he wouldn't dare to put a name to what was missing. His heart would ache just too much would he make that mistake.

When he glanced at Jim at his words, the cop just smirked and took another sip of the wine before he leaned back further into the thick sofa cushions. With melancholy, Oswald thought back to the nights he had spent like this with his father right here on this sofa and then later with Edward. »Rebuilding your empire in such short amount of time, I mean.« Jim finally clarified. »Swaying the disgruntled Gothamites back into your favor with such well-crafted lies. I have to admit that you are good in what you are doing and that we had worse mayors than you.«

»I feel honored, James.« Oswald huffed as he emptied his glass at once before placing his glass on the end table. »But it wasn't all that hard. The good people of Gotham are all too eager to believe a well-crafted little lie. Soon they will be tired of me just the same way as they were tired of Aubrey James. I am the change they longed for - young, dynamic and openly criminal. Who else is better equipped to rule a city like Gotham with all it's crime and corruption than a criminal? That I am also the head of the underworld, _again_ , just furthers the argument that I should also rule the rest of this city.«

»Yet, you don't seem happy.« Jim remarked and took him a little too much by surprise with those words. Startled he glanced at Jim and his stupid sympathetic smile. There had been a time when he had longed for Jim’s company, when he had longed to sit with him like this and talk like friends would do. There had been a time when he had been utterly infatuated with this man, maybe even a little love-struck by this good-looking policeman. However, James Gordon was as easy to read for him as the gossip column in the Gotham Gazette. He was like an open book from the very beginning.

»You know, Jim … I just remembered how we first met. Remember? At Fish’s club … almost three years ago now. I just needed one look at you and I knew everything I needed to know about you. _One look_ and I knew that you wouldn't kill me if Falcone would give you the order. _One look_ and I knew I would be able to sway you and appeal to your good heart and conscience, the same good heart and conscious that I will never have.«

Jim's sigh told him that he too was an open book to the cop after their little adventures together. »You are still blaming yourself for what happened to Selina.« It was a statement, not a question. And, if he would be an honest man, he would agree with Jim. The thing was, though, that he was not in fact an honest man. Not always, at least. Not if it didn't suit him or further his agenda.

»I am not.«

»You are.« Jim smirked. »And you shouldn't. It's not your fault. And you were right when you told me that I should have been there. She was under my protection but I wasn't there. She was under my protection but I let you alone with her. You, an injured man who had just been shot.« As Jim turned his body to Oswald the next moment, once again, the mobster found himself surprised. »You both could have died because I was too busy with other stuff than keeping my promises and for that I want to apologize. We are already searching for Nygma. Just so you know.«

There was a moment of silence stretching out endlessly between them in which Oswald just stared at Jim before returning his gaze back to the crackling flames. Their only source of light at the moment. Victor was right outside the living room door, listening to everything that might be a threat. Butch and Gabe were somewhere inside the house. He was safe in here. Yet, fear or anxiousness were not the reason for the knot in his stomach as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. »I loved him.« He blamed the alcohol for those words. »I really did. I loved him.«

The weight of Jim’s hand on his shoulder was reassuring and suffocating all the same. Yet, he felt as if he could breathe for the first time.

※※※※※※※

Three weeks had passed and by now Oswald’s life felt as if the betrayal had never happened. Everything was just as before, as if Edward Nygma had never even existed, and he found himself stuck in endless routine. Routine was not always bad, of course. Routine was actually a good thing even. Routine usually helped him to get his mind off of unwanted things and focus on the here and now. Yet, he found himself stuck and unable to fully immerse himself back into his work, unable to go about everything with the same amount of passion that he had felt before everything had gone to shit completely. He was missing a piece and that was without question.

To this day, he still sometimes found himself looking back over his shoulder during certain appointments, expecting to exchange a look with his most trusted advisor but in Ed’s place, he would just find this ambitious young woman in those Manolo Blahniks that he couldn't stand. The only time he would be able to take a deep breath, it seemed, was when he would visit the hospital to exchange the flowers that never got enough water from the nurses. Sometimes he would meet Bruce and Alfred or even Jim at Selina’s bedside, sometimes even a little-redheaded girl who had brought quite a bunch of plants already to fill up Selina’s room. It was like coming into a greenhouse at this point but the girl had claimed that her plants would help her friend. And who was Oswald to deny the little girl this bit of comfort?

This night too, he found himself at Selina’s bedside. Victor was keeping watch outside of the door and a part of him felt silly for taking him everywhere he went like a scared little child. Edward’s betrayal had left him weak in more than one way. This was the truth whether he liked it or not. He hardly slept through the night, he drank too much, he ate too little, he worked too much, he was restless, he didn't go anywhere without Victor or Butch or Gabe at his side or a knife in his cane. He hardly felt safe in his own home and everyone, even the people he employed to protect him, seemed untrustworthy.

It seemed only a matter of time until one of them would stab him in the back.

Somehow, only when he was here in this room that was overloaded with pot plants, he felt calm and almost safe. He had started talking to Selina quite a while ago and didn't even know exactly why. It had started as making a rude comment over something the newspaper had written about him and gradually evolved from there.

This night, however, he just sat there in his chair, exhausted and tired. For the longest time, he said or did nothing. And that was strangely okay too. He was not a big fan of silence, usually, but it was okay for the moment. He would need to leave in twenty minutes. Some stupid dinner with stupid leeches who wanted either his money or his support was waiting for him and he couldn't care less. Even to himself, everything about this situation was strange.

He had never cared for other people much despite those he held close to his heart, like his mother or Ed, even Jim Gordon. Hell, he even cared about Butch or Gabe or Zsasz to some degree. This girl, however, a person he hardly even knew, was something entirely different. He felt responsible for her and not just for her injuries. He wanted her to wake up and join him. Maybe he was slowly getting a bit sentimental. Maybe all the betrayal had taken its toll on him. He craved stability. He craved true friendship like he thought he had shared with Edward. Maybe he even craved for something akin to a family after all the losses he had faced within the past year. A part of him, the romantic idiot that he was deep down inside, had maybe even hoped that he and Ed would someday have just that - a family.

»I would have never thought that you were such a sappy guy.« It took him a moment to realize that the voice that he heard was not in his head for once. The voice sounded weak and hoarse from lack of usage but as he looked at Selina, her eyes were open and there was a smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth. »They told me you came everyday.« She continued quietly. »And that you stunk up that place with your guilty conscience.«

»You’re awake!« He stated surprised and did his best not to sound too cheerful at that. »Since when are you awake?« He should be affronted that no one told him but at the moment he couldn't bring himself to be anything but glad. This girl was so incredibly annoying to him and yet he was just glad that she was back again.

»I woke up in the afternoon.« Selina hummed. She still seemed groggy and not quite there yet, but she was talking and she was fully aware of her situation and that was more than he could have hoped for. He actually felt choked up by this revelation. »What are you doing here?« She finally asked. »I thought you would be glad to finally have gotten rid of me.«

The small laugh that escaped his throat sounded a lot more like a strangled sob than he was willing to admit before he clasped Selina’s left hand that was lying uselessly on the mattress with both of his. »I promise you not to take so long in the bathroom anymore.«

 

**-End of Chapter 2-**


	3. Helleborus Niger

He didn't know how exactly it happened that Selina Kyle moved in with him. It was only a few days after Selina woke up from the coma that Oswald took her in to recover completely and, most important, in peace. He wouldn't claim that he felt in any way concerned for the girl but helping her to get better was the least the could do. That was, at least, what he had told himself at the beginning of all of this.

Two weeks in they had been getting in each other's hair again almost every day and yet, Oswald had not felt bothered knowing that he would come home and not find his house empty and silent. It was true that his house had felt too big and too empty after this whole ordeal with Edward and sometimes it still did after Selina had made a speedy recovery and started venturing into town again and again on her own. He couldn't stop her from leaving his house, of course, and he didn't wish to anyway. She was a very independent girl and that was something that Oswald liked about her. She deserved her nickname for sure as she was much like a cat, coming and going as she pleased.

Still, she had her own bedroom filled with her stuff and she was welcome to come and go whenever she wanted. She was not his daughter, after all. It was Jim Gordon who had surprised him the most, a few months after all of this had happened and after Selina had become a fixpoint of Oswald's life, that Jim had actually addressed the topic.

» _She is just a kid, Oswald._ « He had reminded the former mobster turned mayor. » _She is only fifteen and the next time she will get caught by police CPS will take her in for certain._ «

It was with these words that the idea had been born in Oswald's head. Even though he had doubted that Selina would be bothered greatly by the prospect of CPS taking her into an orphanage of sorts,  even though knowing that she would quickly escape from there anyway, Oswald had opened up to her about the idea of adoption around Halloween. She had reacted the way he had thought she would - mainly with anger but after a few days of thinking about it, she had agreed.

As Oswald walked past decorated shop windows and blinking lights through Gotham’s busy streets on this day in mid-December, he started to realize that this would be the first Christmas ever since his mother had died, that he would not be alone. The man he loved was still on the run and certainly planning Oswald's demise in gruesome detail but he would not be alone this year. For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, he would be able to celebrate Christmas with something akin to a family, he assumed. This thought actually managed to bring a spring back into his steps for once after all the beating life had delivered to him these past months.

Maybe it was naive of him to just expect Selina to celebrate with him as he went about his Christmas preparations without having asked her first. Maybe he was once again fueled by the same emotion that had led to his downfall as it came to his feelings for Edward earlier this same year. He tended to get obsessed with people. He tended to get possessive. This was not the case with Selina, though. At least not as far as he thought, however. The relationship they shared was more like a brother-sister kind of relationship, though after the adoption it was certainly more a father-daughter kind of relationship. He didn't like the sound of that. He was only thirty-one years old, after all, and too young to have a fifteen-year-old daughter already.

Fact was, however, that he and Selina were a good team. Not having Edward by his side anymore, he sometimes felt as if he was suffocating under all the stress and the combined weight of his work as mayor and as underworld kingpin, with the stress of not knowing what Edward was up to in the meantime only adding to his stress and misery. Selina was not a girl of many words but she was good at understanding him even without many words. She was even good at consoling him without even trying too much. Her Laissez-faire attitude was much more welcome to him by now than he would have previously imagined.

He just left one of the shops, as he spotted his adopted daughter with another girl vanishing into an alleyway. It wasn't the first time that he had seen Selina with this very girl, a young red-head, probably a few years younger than Selina and always wearing a striped black and green sweatshirt that was more holes than actual wool by this point. The girl had never been to his house and Oswald had not encouraged Selina to ask her friends to come over either. Maybe he should do that, though, he wondered. After all, his house was now her home too and maybe she would like to invite this little friend of hers. Then again, Oswald could certainly not claim that he would feel at ease knowing that some little street rat like this unkempt and dirty looking girl would walk through his home - and probably steal stuff. He was not nearly naive enough to think that Selina’s friend would not steal from him just because he was a figure in Selina’s life or because he was … Well, the Penguin.

Until now, Oswald had not thought too much about the little girl but this time he could not deny the creeping sensation of curiosity as he followed the girls. He was certainly not the most agile person in the world and thanks to his limb, not the most inconspicuous either with his cane producing a small tap-tap-tap with every step he would take. Yet, he succeeded in following the girls for a few minutes until they stopped and exchanged something. His first idea was, of course, that it was drugs but then he realized that it was food wrapped in tinfoil and something that looked a whole lot like money.

 _So that's where Selina’s allowance goes to_ , he suddenly realized as he quickly ducked into the shadows of the alley just as Selina turned her head to look over her shoulder and down the alley to where her adopted father had been lurking. And it wasn't just the money, Selina’s allowance, that seemed to vanish regularly but also quite a bit of food, as Olga had told him a little while ago. He couldn't help the small smile creeping up on him. He himself might not be a Robin Hood type of man but he could appreciate that Selina tried to help her friend.

He would need to talk to her about this little girl. Wanting to help her with food and money was certainly nice but it was no solution to the little girl’s bigger problem. She seemed to be homeless, after all, and it was a miracle that the police had not yet found her and taken her into custody. Then again, this was Gotham City. No one cared for an Urchin. There were way too many of them anyway. Oswald had never had a big heart for kids, but he had always hated it when kids had been at the receiving end of Gotham’s cruelty. He was all for dishing out punishment when people deserved to be punished. Children, however, did not deserve to be punished most of the time. And most of them were suffering needlessly for the sins of their own parents.

※※※※※※※

The cat lazily licked her paws as she laid sprawled across one of the more expensive carpets in front of the fireplace and enjoyed the heat of the gently crackling fire. The cat was one of many that were nowadays occupying his home and puking on his carpets and sofas. Unlike him, Selina usually seemed unfazed by them puking and spitting out hairballs all the time. Olga was certainly not a fan of these animals either as they liked to linger around her when she would prepare food, always eager to steal a piece of ham or even cheese. Once he had even seen one of the cats run out of the kitchen as if the devil was after him with a slice of pizza in his mouth.

The only person who seemed to enjoy the presence of the cats, besides Selina, seemed to be Victor Zsasz because Oswald had caught him quite a few times carrying one around on his shoulders.

It was late that same afternoon that he found himself sitting on his most favorite comfortable couch inside the private sitting room at the front side of the house and heard one of the larger windows of the adjoining tea room creak open. »You could use the door like every normal person, you know?« Oswald sighed as he put down the file he had been reading until this moment. It wasn’t important anyway. Well, not to him, at least. Not really. It should be, though.

He could see her through the open door how she was closing the window through which she had entered against the heavy snowfall and walked towards the door leading to the sitting room. Selina just smirked as she brushed off a bit of freshly fallen snow from her leather jacket that she refused to give up even despite the fact that it started to get a bit tight and short for her. She was a growing young woman, after all. Not to mention that Oswald really would like to start dressing her a bit more appropriate but who was he to argue with a teenage girl about her choice of fashion? He might be many things but stupid or suicidal he was not. Selina did not waste time to walk up to the old green sofa where he was sitting. Of course, she left a trail of wet footsteps behind without bothering about it. Well, that was why they had maids and other staff, he assumed.

»I could but where would be the fun in that?« Selina huffed and slumped down next to him, snatching the file from Oswald's fingers without a care in the world that she was dealing with one of the most dangerous criminals in all of Gotham. To her, he was just Oswald, sometimes even Ozzy, her adopted dad - or in other words, an absolute pain in the ass at times. »What are you reading?«

»It's about the anti-drug campaign that I am about to initiate together with the GCPD. Of course, under the strict supervision of none other than our beloved friend and truly impeccable James Gordon. Let's say, good old Jimmy is not thrilled about that part but Barnes decided that Jim would be the guy to work with city hall on that matter as soon as the new year hits Gotham. New Year, new anti-drug campaign, so to say.«

»Sounds thrilling.« Selina chuckled and gave back the file. »Why are you sabotaging yourself with this campaign? I mean you and the GCPD are trying to destroy several drug rings in Gotham.«

»I was never a big friend of drugs.« Oswald shrugged. »I hate what they do to people, I hate how they are used against people. I never wanted to get involved with drugs in anyway so I never associated myself with drug dealers directly. Of course, I can't deny that they were part of my empire but since I am not officially the head of the underworld, at least as far as the GCPD is concerned, I can go against them in earnest. In the end, it will not matter anyway. Drug dealers are like cockroaches. We will take down a few of them, claiming a victory for the GCPD and me as the mayor who actually did something against the crime in this town and they will soon, in secret go back to their normal business. All of this is perfectly orchestrated.«

»I never doubted you.« Selina hummed and leaned her head on his shoulder. By now it was not at all rare that they would sometimes sit like this in front of the fireplace like normal friends, content with each others company. »Did you hear about the bank robbery this morning?« She then broke the silence after a few heartbeats again and he could feel her big almond-shaped eyes look up at him.

Naturally, his stomach seemed to drop down to his knees as he recalled the news report earlier this day. Instead of saying something, he just set his jaw and nodded.

»A question mark … Wasn't this Nygma’s thing?« He thought about that portrait that Edward had destroyed with this huge ugly green question mark. He had had it refurbished after he had regained his position and he had had Edward removed from the portrait too. It still stung, though. Nowadays it hung in his office in the house but it seemed as if something was just missing from it whenever he would look at the painting.

»It was, yes.«

»You think he is back?« She sounded more curious than actually worried this time.

»Yes.« Oswald sighed. »These bank robberies lately … They have his signature all over. This is just like Edward. He is just such a drama queen.«

Selina snorted lightly and Oswald couldn't help but recall how she had claimed the same thing about him just a few months ago. »Are you worried that he will come for you?«

»I have Zsasz, Butch and Gabe. No, I doubt he is stupid enough to try anything as long as I have them around me. I already told them to shoot with the intent to kill as soon as they catch a glimpse of that green bastard.«

»Wow … cold as ice.«

»It's what I have to do to protect myself.«

»You loved him, though.«

»I did.«

»Do you still love him?«

Again he found himself pausing for a moment or two. »That's a good question.« He admitted quietly.

»He shot you.«

»He did.« And with a sigh, he continued. »Love is not that easy, Selina. My mother used to tell me: _Oswald, you only get one love in your life, so never waste your chance at love when it comes around. You hold onto it tightly and never let go of your love._ Of course, now I know that she warned me about that because she threw her chance at love away when she was a young woman.«

»He still shot you.«

»I saw you with your friend again today.« He quickly changed the topic as Selina wanted to dwell on that one single detail of his and Edward’s relationship as it seemed. »You know, Olga was already worried where all the food goes to.« Selina opened her mouth as she straightened herself next to him to protest, but Oswald rose one hand to silence her right away. »It's alright. But you do know that you don't have to steal from this house, Selina, do you? You could have just asked Olga and she would have prepared something for your friend.«

»I know.« Selina sighed.

»And … Selina, though I appreciate it that you try to help your friend like this, I think we can both agree on the fact that this help of yours will not help her in the long run, right?« The fact alone that Selina even wanted to help her homeless friend like this now that she could live a life free of worries at Oswald’s side, made her an entirely better person than Oswald could ever be.

»I know but what do you propose I do instead? I mean the only other option for her is a homeless shelter and that would lead her to be thrown into an orphanage.« Selina shook her head. »No one deserves to be thrown into an orphanage. And Ivy … She is not like me, Oz. Or like you. Ivy is not especially smart or assertive. She would be lost without my help.«

»Then why don't you ask her if she wants to crash here from time to time, especially now that it's cold outside.« He could hardly believe that he of all people was now offering to open his house for complete strangers. Fatherhood was making him soft, apparently.

»She don't wanna come. I already asked her.«

»At least ask her if she would like to spend Christmas with us this year then.« Oswald sighed. »No one should be alone at Christmas.« Or on the streets.  

»Christmas?« Selina then asked with big eyes as she sat up straight next to him again. He couldn't help but feel as if he had just made a huge mistake but he swallowed the feeling and the biting remarks that came to him so naturally.

»Of course, Christmas.« He said instead.

»Do you throw a party?«

»Not exactly but I thought it would be nice to have a proper family Christmas this year, don't you agree?«

»Oh…« Selina suddenly seemed guilt-stricken but the moment was over too quickly to grasp it. Still, the way she cast down her eyes on the ground in front of him shortly, told him what he needed to know. She had not even considered spending Christmas with him. To her this was probably nothing more than  a partnership of convenience. Had he again expected too much from this relationship like he did with Ed?

»What is it?« He asked still, although he really didn't want to hear the truth.

»Bruce asked me … to join him and Alfred for Christmas.« Selina finally admitted quietly but her expression changed rather quickly as she looked at him again from the side. »But I don't really wanna go anyway!« She quickly brushed off the idea of spending Christmas at Wayne Manor as if it was completely absurd. »I mean Bruce is such a weird guy and I have nothing to wear anyway.«

Was she feeling guilty for leaving Oswald alone?

»Oh no.« Oswald grinned smugly and rose from his spot on the sofa, swallowing the bit of hurt that he initially felt. »You are going to this party, Selina.« It was true that he had already imagined their shared Christmas to be as happy as the ones he had celebrated with his mother. Yet, he didn't want her to miss out on this opportunity just because she thought he would be lonely otherwise. In addition to that, he would like to see her squirm in an elegant dress. This was his chance and perhaps the only one he would ever get.

So, Christmas Eve came with Selina Kyle in a gorgeous dress leaving him to celebrate with the boy she liked and his butler. She would stay the night over at the manor and thus giving Oswald peace of mind. At least this way he didn't need to be concerned about her safety, which he never thought possible in the first place. However, he was, indeed, concerned about her safety.

※※※※※※※

It was already late that same night that Oswald found himself in quite a pretty pickle. He barely escaped the ambush of his car, barely managed to drag himself into the safety of an old abandoned greenhouse that belonged to some mansion a bit further down the path from where the car had crashed into an old willow tree. A snowstorm had hit Gotham just a few hours ago as Oswald had driven through town to attend some fancy gala he had been invited to in his role as the mayor of this wonderful gothic city that he loved so much.

He had never made it to the gala, however. His journey had been cut short as someone had fired a shot at the tires of the limousine. The car had swerved out of control before he had been able to realize what was truly going on. At least he had been able to escape the wreck after the car had crashed into a tree by the side of the pretty much deserted country road that was leading into town. His driver hadn't been as lucky. It was the one evening where he had left his house without Victor or Butch or even Gabe as he had desired to grant all of them to celebrate Christmas in peace with their loved ones.

Maybe this had been a mistake, maybe it wouldn't have changed a thing had he kept them at his side tonight. It was Edward, after all. He had known it before he had dodged the bullet of his former best friend and fell down the ravine. He hadn't stopped even a second to assess the damage to his body from the crash. It was a miracle to Oswald that he had even managed to get away in the first place and that none of the bullets that Ed had shot at him had found their intended target. Only after he had fallen down that ravine and landed face first in a thick blanket of snow, he had spotted the abandoned mansion in the distance and the greenhouse in the back.

As he finally reached the conservatory, he found the door unlocked and made his way inside. Oswald hardly managed to close the door against the harsh wind but after he did, he locked it and leaned heavily against the door with his back for just a second to take everything in. It was, naturally, dark inside the greenhouse but he could still make out the shape of an old chaise lounge that stood in the middle of the old greenery. Almost he could envision the former lady of the house sprawled out on that piece of furniture reading a book surrounded by flowers and plants like in some of the period dramas his mother had loved to watch. Exhausted, he dragged himself over to the chaise lounge and slumped down on it heavily. Only then he found a moment to pause on the seat and allowed the  pain from his injured wrist and ankle to blind him. He must have fractured or sprained his wrist as he had fallen down that ravine and it would be a miracle if all his ribs were intact still.

»Curse you, Nygma!« He hissed as he lifted his wrist to look at it more closely.

»That doesn't look too good.« He almost pulled the gun he always carried around in his belt as the tiny voice of a young girl demanded his attention and almost scared him half to death. Inside the greenhouse it was dark and he really didn't know when someone set foot into this building for the last time before him. However, as he tried to find the source of the voice there was a flicker of light in one corner of the conservatory that slowly grew bigger. A lantern. A moving lantern. A lantern that was moving a bit closer. Only in the faint light of the lantern, Oswald started to realize how green everything around him truly appeared. The plants had no right to appear this lush and well-cared for after the house and the conservatory appeared to have been left at least a decade ago.

The lantern  stopped floating in the darkness as slowly a small figure emerged from the deep shadows of the large room and almost seemed to appear from underneath one of the wooden tables on which some of the pot plants stood. The girl was, even from a distance, quite a bit smaller than him and as she slowly walked closer, Oswald was able to spot a tuft of long red hair in the light of the moon shining through the huge windows.

»You are Selina’s friend.« He breathed out as the little girl stepped even closer and took a much clearer shape in front of him.

»You are the Penguin … you are Selina’s new dad.« It sounded beyond strange how she said that. He wasn’t her dad. He was no one’s dad. He was too young to be a dad.

»What are you doing out here?« It was probably the last thing he should care about right now. Shortly, his eyes shifted back to the door he just came through, worried that Edward would maybe find him in here and shoot through the glass surrounding him. However, the snowstorm had even worsened since he walked into the greenhouse. There was no way even someone as determined to kill him as Ed Nygma, would make his way to the greenhouse in this storm. It was as if the weather gods were on his side for once.

»I live here.« The girl replied quietly and stepped closer to the chaise lounge. »My name is Ivy. Ivy Pepper.«

»Pepper.« Oswald replied surprised as the name almost instantly rung a bell in his brain. He recalled the tragic story of one Mario Pepper from a few years ago, right before he had first laid eyes on Jim Gordon and ended up in the Gotham Harbor. »Was your father Mario Pepper? The guy who was shot by Harvey Bullock during the case of the Wayne murders?«

Ivy's pale face never changed expression as she still looked at him. In fact, she seemed unfazed by the question. »Yes, he was.« Ivy answered a bit quieter this time.

»My condolences.« The words came out without his doing and they sounded probably as uncaring as he felt. He had never known Mario Pepper personally but he knew enough about the man to know that his daughter was better off without him anyway. »But where is your mother? How does it come that you live here in this greenhouse?«

»My mother killed herself after my father’s death.« She shrugged her thin shoulders as if she didn't really care about it at all. Oswald knew better, of course. Or at least that was what he told himself. No child would just shrug off the death of one or even two parents like this. »I found this place a few months ago and decided to make it my home base. This is much better than living on the streets. At least no one comes here to mess with my stuff.«

»So these are your plants?« He gestured lazily to all the plants surrounding them that seemed to flourish under Ivy Pepper’s care.

»Yes.« Her face suddenly split into a wide smile. »These are my friends. Plants are much better than people, don't you think?«

»Well-«

»Here, let me help you with your wrist, I show you what plants can do!« He didn't even get the chance to protest as Ivy was already turning away from him again to do what she had in mind. It didn't take long for the little girl to come back to him with a small tray on which she had collected a mortar, a knife and a roll of clean bandages in addition to a bunch of different leaves. Already she was stuffing the leaves into the mortar before she began her work in pounding the leaves into some form of mash. With a bright smile on her dirty looking face she extended her hands to him.

»Oh no, don't come near me with that stuff.« But Ivy only rolled her eyes at this.

»Don't be such a baby.« She sighed and impatiently grabbed his hand to pull his injured wrist towards her. It took her only a few minutes to smear most of the paste onto his fractured wrist and then bind the bandage around his wrist and hand with as much professionalism as if she had done so all her life.

»And how do you think a few crushed leaves will help against a fractured bone?«

»They won't because it's not fractured. It's sprained. This can only heal by itself and with time, but the effects of the leaves will help reduce the pain and the swelling and they also serve as an antiseptic, which is why we will also put it on your cuts.« He could not even begin protesting before Ivy had dipped her fingers into the mush again and gently started to dip the paste on the seemingly countless cuts on his face that he had gotten himself as he had fallen into a thorn bush on his escape from Edward.

»It burns!« He growled. It actually burned quite a bit and a more sensible part of his brain told him that this was really no surprise after this girl had just put crushed leaves on his open wounds. Surely they would get infected now.

»Of course it does, Dummy.« She sighed and moved to put away her equipment. However, the burning sensation slowly faded away with each passing second and only left a comfortable heat in his cheeks.

»This is ridiculous.« He muttered to himself. »I’m sitting here on the run from Ed Nygma with some crazy plant child. I am going to call Gabe to pick me up.«

»That Blizzard will go on for a while. We are stuck here.«

Now it was on him to roll his eyes before he pulled his phone out of the inside pocket of his coat and opened it. No signal. Of course not. With a deep moan he sunk deeper into the battered cushions of the chaise lounge. »Awesome.« He sighed.

»Well, I think there are worse things than to spend Christmas Eve with some crazy plant child.« Ivy muttered as she got back to her feet and started to tend to her _friends_ all around them now that she had dealt with her unwilling patient. Only then did Oswald remember that it was, indeed Christmas Eve. It was Christmas and not only was he here but this child was here too, all alone. Maybe he was a bit sentimental but he couldn't help the flicker of guilt wash over him as this realization struck him completely out of the blue.

»How do you know all these things anyway?« He found himself asking as he was looking around the greenhouse from his position again. The lantern did not do much but at least it allowed him to see his surroundings more clearly after Ivy had left it beside the chaise lounge on the ground.

»My Mom was a herbalist and botanic before she married my dad. She used to have her own little pharmacy but my dad didn't want her to work.« Ivy explained as she was taking a closer look on one particular plant. It looked almost like the snow roses in his back garden.

»And your dad … What did he do?«

»I don't know.« She shrugged. »He was a conman, I think. He was mean … Did all kinds of stuff for the mob - That's what the police said anyway. I know that he was in Blackgate for a few years. What about you?«

»Huh?«

»What about you mom and dad?« Ivy asked and briefly turned around and away from some other plant that Oswald could not even begin to name. Still, the question and her curious green eyes took him by surprise. His mom and dad? Usually, people did not ask about his family. People tended not to care about him and his family. That was, of course, because most people deemed him a monster without any kind of feelings towards others. There had been numerous people in his life making this very clear to him in the past.

»My Mom was a cook.« He finally replied. »She loved her work. She was the daughter of immigrants, you know? Came here when she was a teenager. She had to stop working, however, after an accident. We didn't have much money after that, so I know the hardships you suffered through with your parents.«

»Was your mom mean?«

»No, my mom was a saint.« He smiled. »Every Christmas, she would cook for us and we would sing and dance together. She was my entire world. I wanted to die so badly as she did. I couldn't bear the pain of losing her.« Why was he even telling her this? Well, he was a big old sentimentalist, that much was certainly true. Yet, this girl was a complete stranger to him. Talking to her like this might be unwise. »But I got to meet my father only a few months after her death.«

»Was he nice?«

»He was the kindest man I’ve ever met.« Oswald mumbled more to himself than the little girl as he lowered his eyes. It were days like this when the losses he had suffered came back to him the most. He never got the chance to spend Christmas with his father. He missed his parents every day but never like he did on days like these. He craved their presence and their approval and yet he would never get that again. They were dead because he had not been able to protect them. And then Edward had gone as far as to unearth his father’s remains and dump them in a dumpster behind a chinese restaurant after driving him nuts. Maybe this was what he would never be able to forgive him for. He could forgive him for shooting him and throwing him in the harbor … But this? »I loved him very much but our time was cut short, sadly.«

»What happened?«

»He was the victim of a very cruel moment of irony and a bunch of greedy hyenas.« Ivy’s look remained confused. »He was killed by his wife, Grace, with poisoned wine that was intended for me.«

»What did you do to her? Did you take revenge?«

»I cooked her children and served them to her, then I stabbed her.« She didn't even seem abhorred by these images he was undoubtedly putting into her tiny head. »And you? Did you ever desire revenge for your parents’ death? I mean had your father not been killed by Bullock, your mother might not have killed herself. Believe me, losing a man like Harvey Bullock would certainly not be a huge loss for the GCPD. You would have my approval for getting rid of him.« Though Jim would not be a fan of this. For whatever reason, Harvey was his best friend, after all.

This time it was Ivy who sighed and slowly strolled over to him to sit down next to him. Without a warning, she leaned her head against his shoulder. What was it with young girls leaning their head on his shoulders lately? Since when had he the aura of a man young pubescent girls could confide in? »I thought about it.« She admitted. »I thought about killing him when I am bigger and smarter.«

»And now?«

»Now I think that revenge is pointless, you know? My father was an asshole. He beat my mother and yet she loved him more than she loved me.«

»Why are you saying this? I'm sure your mother loved you very much.«

»I'm not saying that she didn't.« Ivy huffed. »But if she had loved me more than him, she would have stayed and we would still be together. She didn't care enough, though and now I am living on the streets and I am all alone. Selina is the only friend I have but I hardly see her anymore since she started hanging out with you and that Wayne-kid.«

He almost felt guilty for taking Ivy’s friend away. »You know … I have a greenhouse too.« For once, Oswald didn't know where these words were even coming from. »And it's much bigger than this right here. I am afraid no one took care for it for quite some time, though, and I most certainly have no knack for plants. Hell, I can't even name more than half of these plants all around us. I would have hired someone to take care of it anyway eventually but … I mean if you would like…«

»You want me to be your gardener? You are the mayor, shouldn't you know that child-labor is against the law?« That girl was a whole lot smarter than Selina gave her credit for. At least she managed to make him smile a bit.

»It wouldn't be child labor if you would live in my house and do it freely and because you want to.« Maybe it would be nice to fill the old house with laughter again. He thought about his father and how they had talked in front of the fireplace. He thought about how much his father had once wanted to fill their family home with love and children and happiness and never really got the chance. Grace had never loved him but maybe he had decided to think she did because it was easier than accepting the truth about the woman he had married. And Oswald, well, maybe his father had already seen him becoming a grandfather to Oswald’s children, not realizing that his only child was gay. Then again, family was not just blood. He might never have children of his own but maybe that was not the point anyway.

»As your guest?« Ivy asked very cautiously now.

»As my ward.« He replied too quickly for even himself to catch up. »As my daughter.«

»You already adopted Selina.« Ivy frowned and moved away a little as if she was suddenly unsure of that strange man she had met tonight. She would be justified to do so. After all, they had never spoken until tonight. »And I don't like being pitied by rich folks.«

»Oh I can assure you that you do not have my pity. You are clearly faring very well on your own here. However, since my money and most of my food lands in your hands already anyway through Selina, what harm could it bring to give this a try? And really, as you said, I already adopted Selina, what more harm could another girl in my house possibly do? At least you only bring plants and not cats.« For a moment, he felt as if he was trying to justify his actions to himself rather than her.

»Why are you doing this?«

»See it as a Christmas miracle.« Maybe it had been fate who intervened in his Christmas plans and brought him here. Maybe it was pure coincidence that had caused Edward to attack his car right this night and right on that deserted country road. Whatever it was, a part of him, as he was watching the snow falling outside of the greenhouse was glad that everything had played out like this as Ivy actually smiled at him now and extended her pinky.

»Do you promise that you are not going to be mean to me?«

With a bit of hesitation, he mirrored her gesture and hooked his pinky with hers. »I promise to try.«

Ivy seemed not sold at first but then she gave a squeeze to his pinky, sealing their pact. »That's good enough for me.«

 

**-End of Chapter 3-**


	4. Black Bird

Oswald had never understood the need for a family, the need to procreate and have a child of his own. He loved his family, undoubtedly so. He had loved his mother more than anything in his life, he had loved his father and for a few precious weeks, he had even loved his stepmother and step-siblings. He understood the concept of family love and family ties without a doubt, that was not the problem. But he had never quite grasped the concept of needing to have a family of his own.

That was until Edward had stepped into his life - or more precisely until he had somehow begun collecting orphans into his home that could drive him completely insane. However, neither Selina nor Ivy were his daughters. They were, in a way, of course, his daughters - but it was probably not what people meant by having children.

And then he had met Martin, for the first time.

Their first meeting had been pure coincidence - merely an accident, really - as Oswald had walked into the orphanage of Sofia Falcone for the first time. He soon became Oswald’s accomplice and friend. Only when it was already almost too late did Oswald realize just how attached he had grown to that boy already.

Looking back on it now, Oswald would not have thought that the story of how Martin came to join his family would coincide with the story of how Ed Nygma came back into his life and, more importantly, into his heart. But that was a story for another day.

Ever since he had come to the conclusion that he, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, was in fact gay, he had known that he would never have children of his own and that thought, though devastating for his mother certainly, had never really bothered him too much. In fact, Oswald had figured that it might be better this way and that some people were not meant to pass on their genes. Oswald was only one of those people and he could live with that knowledge. Gotham certainly did not need more freaks like him.

He had accepted that he would not be a father, that he would never have children. And then he had been forced to spend a few weeks holed up in Jim Gordon’s apartment and in turn to spent quite a bit of time with Selina Kyle. Now, almost a year later, he still had no idea what it meant being a father nor did he feel really fatherly for the two girls that were living with him. Whatever feeling _fatherly_ meant anyway. They shared a bond forged by trust and honesty, a friendship more than anything else that had slowly developed into a feeling of family. It had not happened right away but required a lot of work and patience. Patience, especially on his part as the girly had done their best to drive him nuts.

With Martin, it was different. They had shared a certain sense of understanding right away, a feeling that Oswald could not yet name. The boy was different from his peers in every way and maybe that was what had drawn Oswald to him in the first place. He was mute and no one quite knew if it was by choice or a physical disability. His parents were unknown as the boy had seemingly appeared out of thin air a few years ago at some hospital. No matter what the cause for his disability might be, they shared an imperfection that set them apart from the people around them. Oswald’s disability might be more obvious to those around him but Martin’s was not less prevalent for certain.

He had fun in teaching Martin how to take revenge on his bullies. He felt excitement in seeing him thrive and learn.

»I doubt that his homework requires him to learn how to stab an opponent the right way.« It was, as usual, Jim who ruined their fun one day as he came to visit Oswald at his office at the city hall. He was lately spending more and more time at the office although he knew that he probably shouldn't. However, spending time at the office throughout the day was not only practicable and smart business-wise, it too allowed him an escape from the chaos at home where two teenage girls were determined on messing up the place quite thoroughly.

Olga had begged him only this morning to talk to his daughters and get some sense into their stubborn skulls, but Oswald was not stupid enough to believe that he could actually do that. A man had to choose his battles wisely and this was a battle he was not willing to fight. Not without having chocolate to tame the beasts.

It was Martin who actually dropped the knife that Oswald usually kept hidden in the head of his favorite cane, in surprise by the sudden disturbance. Oswald, on the other hand, could not be bothered by that. He turned around casually as the good detective walked up to him. »One can never be too safe, James. I am only teaching this boy self defense.« Oswald smirked as Martin picked up the knife carefully and handed it back to Oswald. The look the boy shot him was cautious, prompting Oswald to put a hand on his shoulder. »It's alright, Martin. Why don't you go and look if Mr. Zsasz needs some company?«

Martin hovered a little longer at his side and only as Oswald squeezed his shoulder gently, the young boy nodded and hurried past Jim and out of the office. Maybe the mayor’s office was not the right place to have such a small boy at. Not in his case anyway.

»He seems comfortable around you.« Jim smirked stepping closer. »You are quite good with children. Who would've thought?«

A small eye roll seemed to be the appropriate response to Jim’s insinuation so he did just that and stepped closer to his Oakwood desk only to lean against it with his back, sitting down on the edge just barely, his arms spread wide as he laid down his hands on the edge of the desk. His entire posture a sign of dominance in that situation - not that he would need to affirm his dominance when facing Jim Gordon. He was not his enemy, after all.

»I am a man of many hidden talents, James. In another world, maybe you would have had the chance to enjoy some of them.« Jim’s breath of laughter was enough to tell Oswald that the cop had understood the hidden innuendo in his words. Still, there had been a time when Oswald would have dreamed of such a scenario, just him and the detective in his office, alone to do as they pleased. There had been a time when his affections for Jim had hindered his thinking and sabotaged some of his plans. There had been a time, when he would have dreamed of Jim bending him over his desk and taking him until he wouldn't remember his own name anymore.

He knew now that his crush on Edward had been so obvious that literally the entire city had known, except for the man he had held in his heart so dearly. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if he had been just as obvious with his crush on Jim all those years ago and if the detective had been just as blind to it as Edward - and if so if his blindness had been the result of the same reasons Edward surely had had to stay blind willingly. »Sometimes I find myself wondering what might have been had things turned out differently from the start.« He found himself saying without specifying what he truly meant.

Jim, however, always the genius policeman, seemed to have caught the hidden meaning in his words as he sighed and joined him at the desk. He mirrored Oswald's posture perfectly as they stood beside each other, leaning against the desk and watching through the open doorway of the office how Martin was showing something to Victor Zsasz on his notepad in the front room where his secretary usually sat. She was having lunch just now. There was a sense of camaraderie between them as they stood like this, like two old soldiers who had been through a lot together and didn't need many words to understand the level of friendship that they shared.

They didn't always see eye to eye but after all these years they shared a bond that was undeniable. Maybe, in another world, they could have been lovers. Hell, a love like theirs might have been able to burn down cities. In this world, however, their relationship had developed quite differently and Oswald was glad that they could stand together like this after all this time in friendship. At least for now.

»Are you sure that you are up to this?« Jim nudged his shoulder with his and Oswald found himself sighing his response.

»Are you worried for me, Detective Gordon? I can assure you that I have faced off with much more vile criminals than this Professor Pyg in his ridiculous mask. He will not be as unwise as to attack Gotham’s beloved mayor in front of everyone at this party.«

It was much later that same day that Oswald came to thoroughly regret his dismissal of danger. The moment was not as Professor Pyg emerged from the kitchen with a meat cleaver and this ridiculous pig mask on his face. It wasn't as the crazed lunatic threatened him or Sofia Falcone who was seated right next to him or any of the other guests. The moment of deep regret came to him as Professor Pyg had the audacity to grab Martin from where he had stood at the side with this little triangle, pulled him against his own meaty body and pressed the blade of the weapon against Martin’s thin neck.

This also was the second when Oswald decided that Professor Pyg would not escape his wrath and that he would, most certainly, not get a quick end. He had decided long ago, during weeks he had spent visiting a teenage girl in the hospital as she had lain in a coma, that he would rip everyone apart limb by limb who threatened an innocent child or harmed anyone dear to Oswald's heart.

At this moment, as he was facing off to the Professor, he did not feel fear for his own life and he couldn't care less for any of the other people inside the same room, except for Martin, of course. And as he stared at the maniac in his defiance, he made it perfectly clear that he would not bow down to him and that he would not cower in fear either. He had seen much worse and the moment this animal had decided to threaten Martin, he himself had assigned a number to his remaining days on this earth, he himself had turned the hourglass so that the sand would fall quicker, ticking away the time he still had.

He hadn't intended to kill the man next to him so brutally, at least not in front of Martin, but he had acted much quicker than he had actually been able to think as he had ripped the spit out of Sofia’s hand, without much care for her well-being in the act, and thundered it into the skull and then the brain of the offending man next to him.

It was true what Pyg said, all of it, and that was even worse. Yes, he had gorged himself full on that city and the poor. Yet, people like this man next to him who was now lying with his face in his pie - _Cyrano_ , his mind helpfully offered - he could not stand. He had not been born into wealth and money and everything he had, he had earned with blood and sweat. He had suffered to be where he was now and that was something entirely different, in his eyes, at the very least. Maybe this was the reason to why he, as Pyg kept his stare at him unfaltering, finally grabbed a fist full of his pie and shoved it into his mouth.

Though his eyes never left those of Pyg as he chewed and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, all the same, the moment his glance fell upon Martin who stared at him wide-eyed and scared, yet with a sense of awe, he almost choked.

There was a low murmur going through the room and as he tore his gaze from Pyg and Martin and stared down the other attendants of this charity gala, he noticed their stares of disgust. It wasn't the first time people like them, the upper class, would stare at someone like him in this way and yet Oswald felt as if for once they saw the real thing behind his usually polished mask. With the grime of the pie on his face and his manic eyes, there was no hiding the monster anymore. Maybe that had been Sofia’s plan all along.

»If you don't eat I will hunt you down and kill you!« The scream that was ripping from his throat was almost inhuman even to himself. If it was a monster Sofia wanted to show the world, he would gladly deliver.

Around the table, the other guests hurried to start eating as Oswald sank back into his chair and dug into his pie with as much disgust as he felt hatred for the man forcing him to do so. He had done a lot of horrible things in his life without any doubt, but eating people was just a whole other thing even to someone like him. The worst about it all was, however, that Martin had to witness it. If it wouldn't be for the boy, Oswald would have already tried to lunge at Pyg and kill him with his own two hands.

He felt a certain sense of sick pleasure as Professor Pyg turned to his accomplice the next moment, even though he almost didn't hear it as he nearly threw up under the table. »Miss Falcone« Pyg turned to Sofia with a voice as soft as melted butter and this was the only time he actually lifted the meat cleaver away from Martin.

Sofia did her very best to stay true to her pitiful display of a damsel in distress the way she clutched her injured hand with a napkin close to her chest as if she honestly thought that this would get her pity points from the man she was trying to fool. At least for that, he had to give her credit. She had been willing to suffer for her plan. »Munch up.«

Even as she very half-heartedly tried to pick up her fork, she stayed true to her performance of a spoiled little princess who was too weak and too scared to fulfill even the simplest of tasks. Oswald would play along, however. It was the least he could do until … Until what? Jim and the GCPD should have been here long ago. There was only one person in this room he could rely on to come out of this alive and that was himself.

»Oswald« Sofia turned to him with big moist eyes and trembling lips. »Can you help me?«

He directed his answer at Pyg instead of her as he glanced over at the killer who adjusted the weapon again to make it perfectly clear that Martin would die would Sofia not eat. Oswald didn't know how far Sofia was willing to go in her scheme but he doubted that she had been served the same pie as everyone else. »Yes!« He hissed as he lunged for her fork.

It was just as he lifted a fork full of the disgusting meal to her face, that all hell broke loose in the dining hall of the Falcone mansion. Never had he been more relieved to hear Jim Gordon shout _GCPD_ than in this moment. Oswald’s first instinct was the same as everyone else's, to get up and run, but unlike them not to get himself into safety but to prompt Jim to take caution. The chances that Pyg would hurt Martin as retaliation was too big and yet before he could even get to Jim, there was a scream ripping from the throat of the maniac. The last thing Oswald saw before chaos erupted around them, was how Martin tore a piece of metal out of his captor’s side and ran after the man had dropped him in surprise.

Oswald was at Martin’s side in an instant, grabbed the boy and ran as quickly as his twisted leg allowed him to while shots rang out behind them.

※※※※※※※

He had almost hoped Martin would fall asleep during the aftermath of this nightmare they had experienced together earlier that same night. Martin had not granted him this favor, though. He had stayed awake through it all, had answered the questions of Detective Harper to his best abilities while writing on his notepad with trembling fingers. It was hard to tell if he was playing the part of the distraught child or if he really was this traumatized after all of this. To Oswald, neither would come as a surprise.

Somehow Jim had actually succeeded in detaining Pyg and surely because he had had help in Martin and the injury the boy had brought to Pyg before. It had slowed the brute down quite a lot. Now, all he could hope was that Pyg would not somehow escape from custody.  He wouldn't bet his fortune on it, though.

As for escapees, Sofia had made her grand escape the moment her mansion had erupted into chaos as she had surely realized that neither Jim nor Oswald had fallen for her charade and had known what she had been up to in working with Pyg. Anyway, his Pax Penguina was already dead and maybe for the better too.

»I’m sorry, Oswald.« Jim later sighed as they had gathered in front of the fireplace inside his sitting room. Soon the morning light would fill these halls again and the girls would be up and raking havoc. »Every unit in town is searching for Sofia, we will have found her in no time.«

»Are these the same units that have been searching for Edward?« He scoffed as he glanced at Jim over his wineglass. He held his sharp gaze at his friend at the GCPD for just a moment. »I'm sorry.« he then sighed. »It was a long night.«

Jim waved his apology away with a snort but didn't say anything. They both knew that Oswald was right. Ed had been out there for a while as the GCPD had been unable to find him before Oswald and his former best friend had had their final showdown. Now he was out there and planned only God-knew-what. This was a battle for another day, though. »You know, I thought about what you said earlier today.«

»I tend to say many things, James, please do elaborate.«

»About us.« Jim smirked. »You are aware that we could have never worked out, right? You and Nygma on the other hand, well … I am not saying that it isn’t a recipe for disaster, certainly.«

»What are you getting at now, Jim? He shot me.«

This time, Jim actually laughed. »You know what? I believe that everyone you ever came across wanted to shoot you at one point - me included. You don't know how tempting it sometimes was.« Jim huffed with a small shake of his head that actually coaxed a smirk from Oswald too. »Had he truly wanted to kill you, Oz, he would have aimed for the head.« Jim then added quieter after a while and patted his shoulder. »First rule, right? If you aim to kill, aim for the head.«

»So what are you saying? He loved me back and that was why he shot me in the stomach instead and left me to die in the river?«

»I’m saying that you guys are very complicated people.« Jim sighed. »What are you going to do with the boy now? Are you bringing him back to the orphanage tomorrow when the place got cleaned up?«

Oswald hesitated for a moment that he used to stare in the flames. Only as he was sure of his answer, he looked up at Jim again. »I have a few spare rooms left, I guess.«

»Fatherhood seems to benefit you.« Jim chuckled but was rewarded with a roll of his eyes.

»I won't deny that I was scared to death for him tonight. But that boy is a fighter. Much like I was in the past.« Oswald sighed. »Though my mother was always good to me and did her best to protect me, I had to fight for myself more often than not and I can see that in Martin too. He is meant for greatness.«

»So you are adding him to your collection of orphans?« Though Jim smirked at him sheepishly, they both knew that he did not mean ill intent with his words. On the contrary, in the past he had made it pretty clear to Oswald that he actually admired Oswald’s choice of adopting Selina and Ivy. He had never outright told him that, of course.

»To my family of outcasts, yes.« Oswald replied with a similar smirk towards James.

※※※※※※※

He couldn't deny that he quite enjoyed the quietude of his conversations with Martin and not because of the obvious reason. It did not matter that Martin was unable or unwilling to talk. They had both made an effort of learning sign language over the course of the past weeks. To get Martin's head away from what happened at the charity event. Even though Martin was mute, their conversations could get quite heated. Still, there was a serene calm that was different from his conversations with the girls. There was a certain understanding between them.

Martin was living with him since that whole shebang with Pyg and he had not regretted the decision to invite him into his home for one second. He did not know how Martin felt about all of this, though. Sofia had gone into hiding but it was only a matter of time now until she came back as she was probably licking her wounds  at her father's estate. He Had already wondered whether or not to pay his old mentor a visit.

However, Martin was having troubles sleeping and was shaken awake by nightmares of Pyg every now and again. Far too often for his taste. By now it was a common occurrence that Martin left his room at night to roam the dark halls of the mansion. He was not a child that would come knocking at his door to demand attention and perhaps to be calmed down. Oswald was a light sleeper, though and so it was not uncommon that he would hear the little boy when he would have fallen asleep on the sofa in the sitting room again after a long day of hard work at city hall.

This was exactly what happened this night as Oswald was shaken awake by the thunder of a raging storm that had hit Gotham after hours and hours of threatening the town with it's wrath. First, he wasn't sure if he had heard steps coming down the hallway or not. For a brief moment, as he shot up on the sofa, he even felt reminded of one night not too long ago as he had been shaken awake by thunder as well and had been privy to the show that Clayface had put on for him. It still stung to know that Edward had gone to such lengths to scare him and make him almost lose everything.

These days, Edward was residing in the Narrows, as he had heard, hosting some weird little gameshow of his own. He hadn't seen him for quite some time now. Not after Edward had apparently given up on wanting to kill him. It had taken a bit of convincing on Oswald's part, of course. The bullet that he had wasted on Edward back then would forever be a keepsake of his. Almost he had felt a little sorry for his former best friend, for the man he had once loved, and maybe still loved, as he had seen him so beaten down after that. Still, Oswald hadn't had another chance. The situation had been dire. Edward had wanted to kill him on the spot once more and had he not shot him himself, Fish would have.

Fish … Oh, how dearly he missed her. He hadn't understood her for quite some time, had harbored a deep grudge against her. However, after his mother's death and after she had come back from the dead, she had been the closest thing to a mother he had had. And he had loved her like he had loved her before. The moment he had shot Edward in the stomach, like Edward had done with him, he had understood what she had told him before. The Penguin was very much her creation and the Riddler, Ed, was very much his creation. How could he have killed him?

It were nights like these when the pain in his bad leg was the worst and would remind him of everything he had lost and everything he had once held so dear. Sometimes he felt as if the weight of the world would rest on his shoulders alone and even more so since those children had come into his life. He wouldn't want to miss them, as they were the closest to a family he would presumably ever get, but he was a lot more stressed for certain and not because of their shenanigans either.

Gently he patted the black cat that was resting on the armrest of his favorite sofa. The upholstery was ruined because the damn beast liked to scratch it. Still, he could live with all that. However, not only since Pyg he caught himself worried for those kids every now and again. It was odd. He had never thought that he would find himself in such a situation. He was not the fatherly type anyway. Bullock had only a short while ago mockingly called him a mother hen and maybe that was not so far off.

He felt secure in his standing, his empire was stronger than ever and Gotham loved their two-faced mayor to bits these days because he didn't try to put up a front anymore. He was a gangster and everyone knew this. No one cared. Still fear was sometimes making it impossible to sleep ever since Sofia was on the run. What if she came back and found a way to attack those kids? It would certainly not be beneath her. She had learned nothing of her father.

There was the silent sound of steps again but for a second he wasn't sure if it wasn't just the pitter-patter of the rain hitting the large windows. Only when he turned his face to the doorway that led into the dimly lit hallway to his left-hand side, did he notice the shadow that was creeping about. His first instinct was to go rigid and then make himself ready for the attack, but then he realized that the shadow belonged to a rather small human being.

He got up quietly and slowly shuffled to the doorway just as Martin vanished into the kitchen. Curious, Oswald followed the boy as silently as he possibly could. Someone had taken off his shoes after he had fallen asleep on the sofa but not put a blanket on top of him. Selina. She cared, but she didn't want to show it. He understood her need to guard herself against certain emotions. He was the very same in this regard.

He reached the kitchen just in time to see how Martin was poking his head in the cupboard where Olga stored the pots and pans. »A little early to prepare breakfast. Though if you must cook, I would really like pancakes. A dozen or so.« It had been his intention to startle Martin and he succeeded as the boy very narrowly escaped having his head collide with the top of the cupboard. Martin turned around hastily as if he had been burned but as Oswald turned on the lights inside the kitchen, the surprise on his pale face made way for a sheepish little grin and he lifted the small pot that he had managed to pull out. A second later, Oswald's confused look was met with the sign for milk. Martin was learning quick.

»You want milk with honey?« Oswald interpreted the boys gesture and Martin quickly nodded. He couldn't help but feel a small grin creep up on him. »Because you can't sleep?« Again a nod as Oswald walked over and took the pot from his hands to place it on the stove. »I know something way better than hot milk and honey in that case.« With a small gesture he pointed to one of the barstools at the large counter in the middle of the room. »There take a seat and let me surprise you.«

Oswald was quick to took out the milk and everything else he needed before he switched on the gas and lit the flame with the matches that Olga always kept beside the stove. Of course, he made a bit of a show out of rolling up his sleeves. He hadn't cooked in a long time and it felt honestly quite good to do something so mundane and normal as this by himself once again. It was, in a way, very grounding.

»My mother used to make me hot chocolate as a child whenever I couldn't sleep.« He explained while he poured the milk into the pot and started stirring, adding chocolate - the dark one - little by little to the liquid. As his eyes met Martin’s he grinned a bit. »Can you keep a secret, Martin?«

Could he have said it, he would have said something like _duh_ , but now he only nodded with a soft roll of his eyes.

»She made me hot chocolate even when I was already an adult. I never stopped having trouble sleeping, you know? I still have. Naturally, I am a very nocturnal person, as you might have realized already.« He chuckled. »But, you see, I understand that sleep does not come easy to you. So it's good to know a remedy for that.«

» _It's because of the nightmares._ « Martin signed clumsily with his fingers.

»I know.« Oswald sighed. »And I can't promise you that they will go away soon. I too have nightmares sometimes.« Every night, he thought to himself. But that was nothing for a kid’s ears.

» _You?_ « Martin signed.

»Yes, me.«

» _About what?_ « He looked at him almost as if the notion that any adult might be plagued by night terrors eluded his understanding completely.

»About … Numerous things.« He shrugged his shoulders before he quickly turned to take out two cups from the overhead cupboard. Ed had once made a joke that Oswald was almost too short to reach them. That was, of course, as Ed had still been living here. »You know that I did many bad things in my life, Martin, though the details might elude you - as they should. I have betrayed people and I have killed people. We all have our demons, Martin. Especially us adults. But if you need an example, I often dream of how I almost died. That day haunts me forever. The betrayal of the situation and the desperation. I was almost ready to give up that day. That's what really scares me sometimes. The realization that I lost the will to live at that moment.«

For a moment, he was lost in thoughts and almost forgot the hot chocolate on the stove before he quickly went back to it, poured most of it in two cups and added whipping cream to both cups. »But« He then continued a little lighter as he shoved one cup closer to Martin whose eyes lit up immediately. »It's our darkest moments in life when we learn the most, Martin. And I can't tell you enough how proud I am of you. You took your fate into your own hands that day with Pyg and that is more than most adult people are willing to do. For that, you have my greatest respect.« He lifted his cup as if to make a toast and Martin mirrored his gesture with a small smile on his face.

For a moment, they were content with their hot chocolate but there was something else that Oswald needed to finally get off his chest and the moment seemed to good for it to waste his chance. He was done wasting his chances. Sometimes he still found himself imagining what might have happened had he confessed his love to Edward on that fateful morning before Ed had met this awful Isabella. »Martin, there is something I need to ask you about.«

Martin looked at him puzzled but the expression went away quickly before it was again replaced by mirth in the boy’s eyes. » _Is this about the adoption papers on your desk?_ « He signed and though Oswald had trouble to understand the signs at first, he found himself dumbfounded as he realized that he had interpreted them correctly - judging by Martin’s huge grin.

»How do you…«

» _Selina broke into your office earlier. She was looking for her phone, I guess. She found them._ «

»Oh, that little snitch…« Oswald sighed but breathed a small laugh then. »Yes it's about those papers. I didn't want to just sign them without asking you about it first. But I thought … We are living under the same roof together for almost a month now and it seems to work out quite well, don't you think? Of course, I can understand if you rather not be adopted by a crazed lunatic.«

Before Oswald could say something else, Martin quickly abandoned his cup on the counter, slid off the stool, and walked over to him to hug him. His face pressed into Oswald's stomach before there was anything he could do about it and once again he was dumbfounded as he needed a moment before he could react to it and put a gentle hand on the mop of curls. That was a yes, he assumed.

»Is this hot chocolate I’m smelling?« He couldn't help but laugh and quickly wipe his right hand over his face as to hide the moisture in his eyes as Selina entered the kitchen fully clothed. Clearly she had been out and about and like a cat she only came home when she was hungry. Hot chocolate, he had realized, Selina could smell from miles away. It was only a matter of time until Ivy would join them too.

»Good thing I made more than I needed.« He smirked. »Take a cup, try not to wake Ivy.« Selina just rolled her eyes but the smirk on her face as she glanced at him and Martin, did not escape him.

»God, sometimes you are such a dad.« Selina teased before pouring the rest of the hot chocolate into her cup and leaving none for her sister.

 

**-End of Chapter 4-**


	5. The green-eyed monster

**“Mayor Cobblepot arrested and send to Arkham for the murder of Carmine Falcone and his own adopted son.”** That was the headline Edward Nygma found himself currently staring at as if his brain was unable to understand the words on the paper or as if he was trying to try reading Russian for the first time.

It would have been a lie would he have claimed that he would not have followed the news about his former best friend for the past couple of months. At first, it had been out of pure spite. He had needed to stay informed about his worst enemy, about the man who had killed the woman he had loved just out of jealousy - just because he couldn't have Edward to himself. He had been obsessed with coming back to Gotham and finding a way to kill this man.

And even here in his crappy apartment inside some weird abandoned factory in the Narrows, as he lowered the newspaper, he couldn't escape Oswald as he found himself staring at Oswald's face all over the wall opposite of his bed. It had started out simple. He had started cutting out newspaper articles like this newest one to find leverage on this man. To find some vantage point against him. Somehow it had evolved from there and by now there were polaroids pinned to the wall too. Polaroids of Oswald with his band of misfits, of Oswald at his office, of Oswald and Jim Gordon. He was quite glad that no one would even dare set foot into his apartment. He had made quite the name for himself as the Riddler, after he had first moved to the Narrows. Deadly games and bank robberies were his kind of thing and the people of the Narrows, a rowdy and wild bunch, loved him for that.

It had taken him a long time to recover from the gunshot wound that Oswald had so generously supplied him with only a short while ago during a stand-off in the rain. One might claim that it had been inevitable. Edward had been stalking Oswald ever since he had first learned that he was still alive, trying to find a weak spot that he could use to his advantage. He had been furious as Oswald had returned to his business and life without and ramifications while he had been a fugitive ever since, hunted down for the attempted murder of the mayor. It wasn't fair.

And then this whole debacle with Strange and his escaped monsters had happened. Trying to get Jim Gordon to deliver Oswald to him in exchange for Jarvis Tetch had proven to be a mistake too. Sure, at first he had been victorious. The GCPD had gotten their hands on Tetch and he had been able to dig his claws into Oswald again. What he had not expected was that Selina Kyle and Ivy Pepper had taken measures into their own hands and even went as far as getting a hold of Fish Mooney again so shortly after she had escaped the GCPD to save Oswald from his clutches. Oswald had taken the upper hand without him even realizing it before it was too late. And they had ended up at the harbor again and, again, a shot had been fired but this time he had been the intended target.

He remembered the hesitation in Oswald's eyes, remembered the pain flickering over his face for just a second before he had pulled the trigger and let him fall into the river.

 _I know you, Ed_. Those words still haunted him to this day.

It was a miracle that he had survived this and yet, it had taken him a few weeks to realize that Oswald had not aimed to kill him. This had been about revenge, yes, but never about killing Edward and Edward had found himself wondering too if he had wanted to kill Oswald back at the harbor all these months ago after Isabella's gruesome death. He remembered the look Oswald had exchanged with Fish, the woman he had once hated with a passion and yet couldn't bring himself to kill earlier this year and he remembered what Oswald had once told him about his last meeting with his former boss.

Was this the reason why he had not killed him? Because of the things Fish had told him? Because Oswald was of the obsessive belief that he had created Ed as he was now?

Had it not been for the escaped monsters of Strange or for Fish Mooney, he would have never learned the truth about Isabella, though. For a while, he had not been certain if it changed anything that she had been a clone. She had been designed by Strange from Kristen’s DNA and put in his path by the Court of Owls just to destroy Oswald and his relationship which would inevitably lead to Oswald's downfall - in their eyes, at least.

They hadn't known what Ed knew, of course. It didn't matter how many times people tried to push Oswald down or destroy him even, this man would always come back stronger from it. It was this knowledge that had led him down an entirely new path of thinking in the past couple of weeks. A new path that had made him loathe how closely connected Oswald was to Gordon ever since Edward had almost killed his best friend.

Sure, Jim had Lee Thompkins but that didn't mean that at least on Oswald's part an old flame could not be rekindled. He had always known about Oswald's crush on Detective Gordon right from the first time he had seen that limping little bird-like man at the precinct. Surely, he was infatuated with his hero detective once more now. Oswald always wanted what he couldn't have so that he then could throw a tantrum about it. That would explain how they had taken down Professor Pyg together and why they stood so close together all the time when someone would take a photo of the mayor and his most favorite detective.

How could it be that Oswald Cobblepot always, in a way at least, seemed to get what he wanted?

And then this newspaper had found its way to Ed’s doorstep a few days ago and he had come back to it countless times throughout the day ever since, trying to make sense of the words on the page. According to the article, Sofia Falcone had come forward claiming that her father had been killed by a hitman that had been hired by Oswald, namely the renowned killer Victor Zsasz, and that he had prior to this blown up his own car even though he had known that his adopted son Martin was in the backseat. It was painted as a drama of crime and passion, of the mayor going back to his criminal ways and his descent into madness by none other than Valerie Vale.

Staffers of which Edward had never heard of before had come forward accusing Oswald of being a tyrant and random strangers on TV were bringing forward the wildest theories and speculations. And, at the forefront of this smear campaign against Oswald, was the beautiful rich heiress of the Falcone family, Sofia, who was putting loads of money into charity work and showed herself caring for orphans all around Gotham.

Everyone who had more than two brain cells could see that all of this was a blatant lie an yet, Jim Gordon himself had arrested Oswald and his former friend had not even resisted the arrest. He had taken a photo of it, like so many other people too as Oswald had been led out of city hall in handcuffs, but couldn't bring himself to put it on the wall. Oswald looked so defeated on it and he remembered him limping even worse than ever before, his face a mask of pain and grief for the child he had lost - certainly not by his own hand.

If there was at least one redeeming quality about Oswald Cobblepot than it was the fact that he would never harm an innocent child.

Maybe it was curiosity that brought him to visit the mansion to find it almost deserted one day. This was not a surprise, of course. Oswald was gone and judging by what had happened he was certain that there had been a lot of chaos involved. A few of the windows on the ground floor were smashed but as he was walking inside, he quickly grew aware that the house was certainly not empty. He could hear people inside the house and instinctively drew his gun. Living in the Narrows had taught him that sometimes it was better to shoot first and ask questions later. Whoever was inside Oswald’s home, was surely not his friend and Edward decided to be prepared as he closed in on the sounds coming from the downstairs reading room that led into Oswald's office. Being back here was weird. So many memories were attached to the walls of this house. The ghost of laughter shared between friends was still haunting this place and reminding Edward of what he had lost because he had been stupid enough to fall for Strange’s cheap tricks.

He had known right from the start that Isabella had been too perfect. Like this gut-feeling, one would get when something was just too good to be true. Ed had learned the hard way that if something felt too good to be true, it usually was. They had never really argued, she had never appealed to this darker side inside of him. Instead, she had helped him suppress it or rather made him want to suppress it. She had allowed him to get lost in some fantasy of living in a nice house with a white picket fence surrounding it in the suburbs. There was no way that he would ever get something like that and by now he knew that he didn't really want that either. He had embraced his inner darkness a long time ago now.

Just as he reached the door to the office, he heard the telltale sound of a gun being cocked before the muzzle of that same gun was pressed against the back of his skull. Edward was not stupid enough to put on a fight in this situation and instead dropped his own gun and raised his hands in surrender. He couldn't see the person that was threatening him from behind in his position but the voice that called out from behind him next, made it all too clearly who he was dealing with.

»Miss Kyle!« Zsasz. Being at the other end of Zsasz’s gun was never good. »We have a guest!«

»Bring him in!« The voice of Selina Kyle, that young thief girl Bruce Wayne was in infatuated with, ordered from inside the office and the slight shove against the back of his head with the gun in Victor Zsasz’s hand was all Ed needed to actually move forward.

The office was pure chaos and if Oswald would be here, he would be shouting and raging like a madman at the sight. Inside, however, Ed found Selina Kyle and Ivy Pepper, joined by Oswald’s bodyguard Gabe and none other than Butch Gilzean all gathered around the desk. Apparently, someone had talked sense into that giant and made him return to Oswald at some point. They had a map sprawled all over Oswald's desk and it didn't take a genius to see that the map was of Arkham Asylum and the area it was located in. He had stayed at Arkham long enough to know the layout by heart now.

»What the fuck is he doing here?« He hadn't expected anything else from Selina Kyle as soon as she lifted her eyes from the map to look at him.

Ed quickly grew aware that nearly everyone inside the room looked at him with murderous intent and also that most people inside the room, with exception of Ivy Pepper perhaps, had some reason to kill him. Well, he deserved it, probably. »Came to gloat or plunder the house now that Oswald isn't here?« Butch scoffed at his sight but Edward just opted for a casual roll of his eyes and a platitude that would probably not work on those people anyway.

»I came in peace.« The words escaped him with a small shark-like grin that was spreading over his face as he said them. This did not really seem to improve his standing among the group of his enemies he was now present in. »I came to help.« He added for clarification.

»Help with what? With setting the house on fire or poisoning us or-«

»Breaking Oswald out of Arkham. That's what you are trying to do, right? I can help you.«

»You?« Butch scoffed but Ivy, the little girl with a tuft of long red hair in a green dress, looked at him out of curious green eyes.

»Don't forget that I was a patient at Arkham too at one point.«

»Oh, don't worry, no one is going to forget that.« Butch chuckled. »And you would have better remained there too. Oswald should not have let himself be blinded by his sentimental feelings for you.«

»I drink to that.« Selina smirked.

»I mean I can always leave if you don't wish to hear what I have to say but I can tell you right away that this plan you have concocted there on this map does not work. Arkham has been renovated after Strange and the escape routes that would have worked before won’t work now. They got rid of the weak points in their systems - and created new ones in the process.«

»And you know these weak points, sure.« Selina rolled her eyes.

Edward stepped closer but was quickly reminded by the threat of the gun to his head with a cough from Zsasz. »May I?« He sighed and cast a glance over his shoulder at the assassin who exchanged a look with Selina, not with any of the men inside the room. Interesting. Selina seemed uncertain for a moment but then she nodded and pointed to the map on the table, probably assured that Victor would put a bullet in his head the moment he stepped out of line. Victor put the safety back on with a klick and removed the gun from Ed’s head, allowing him to step closer to the map on the table.

»This is nothing but a big puzzle and it is your gain that it is kinda my thing to solve puzzles.« The smirk he granted the group of people around him was met with angered stares, well except for Ivy who actually smiled but was quick to school her face back into a mask of indifference. »I am sorry for what happened to Martin.« Ed said after a moment of staring at the map and lifted his eyes to Selina again. »I was shocked to read what happened.«

»Oswald did not blow up Martin!« Selina immediately snapped.

»No, I wouldn't have thought he would either. He probably didn't know-«

»He isn't dead.« Selina growled. »He has been kidnapped.«

※※※※※※※

Switching out the notepad the little boy was always carrying around his neck had not been the easiest of tasks, but perfectly manageable. He had spent quite a bit of time surveilling the apartment Martin Cobblepot was being held at from the balcony of another building on the other side of the street through his binoculars. Of course, after he had found out where Sofia Falcone was keeping the boy, Butch had argued that they could just storm in and shoot the place up but Edward knew how important it was to be properly prepared for an operation as this. They didn't want to risk Martin’s safety, after all.

Yet, he knew that they didn't have much time on their hands either. Sofia Falcone was looking for Oswald's former bookkeeper, Mr. Penn, and this search would sooner or later lead her to Oswald in Arkham. As long as she believed that Zsasz was working for her and believing her lies about Don Falcone’s death, at least they all knew that she would send Victor after Oswald and no one else.

He had felt sorry for the boy from his viewpoint. He was not older than ten and had already been thrown into this mess. He had been alone for weeks with those burly men Sofia had hired and surely terrified out of his mind. Of course, the moment he realized that Martin had found his instructions and started moving out of the main room of the apartment, Edward sprung into action.

A moment later, Martin returned to his position at the fireplace and it didn't take even a minute until both of Sofia’s men left the room to go investigating the smell that came from the kitchen. Blowing up the kitchen had been a calculated risk but nonetheless very dangerous for Martin had he not followed his instructions precisely.

There was still smoke lingering in the air and slowly filling the rest of the apartment as Edward entered the kidnappers’ den with quick steps through the front door that had been blown out of its hinges cleanly. He didn't waste time to approach the boy at the fireplace who probably had no clue who he even was. »Uncle Penguin send me to get you.« He addressed the boy after he had crossed the distance between them and extended his hand in invitation to the kid. »Come on, let's get ice cream.«

It was true that Edward had never thought it possible that Oswald would ever really learn to love someone in earnest, not after this whole Isabella debacle. He had thought that Oswald hadn't in him to love someone truly and with all his heart, that he was just a sociopath who only ever wanted to be loved but not truly love anyone else. It had taken him by surprise to hear that Oswald was collecting orphans into his home and even that had come with a whole set of possible answers. He was clearly obsessed with being recognized by this city and by history, with leaving something behind when he would be gone and to create a legacy. First, after the initial surprise, he had been certain that Selina, Ivy and Martin were just that, a means to an end, a legacy so that Oswald would never be forgotten for good but the more time he spent with Martin - and even the girls - in the past couple of weeks as they had been planning today’s events, he had realized that this wasn't the case at all.

He hadn't spent much time around Selina and Ivy other than during the work on the plan but both girls had spoken very highly and lovingly about Oswald, with Ivy even lovingly calling him ‘Papa Penguin’ sometimes. Martin too had quickly corrected Edward the moment they had escaped the apartment building and driven off in Ed’s old green car, that it was not ‘Uncle Penguin’, as Ed had stated before, with one simple word on his notepad: _Dad_.

Oswald was _Dad_ to Martin. Not Mr. Penguin, not the Penguin, not Oswald, not Mayor Cobblepot. He was _Dad_.

Somehow, in his absence, Oswald Cobblepot had become a father and the thought alone was still unfathomable to Edward. Sure, in Gotham nothing was impossible, but it had always seemed a lot more possible that pigs would fly than that Oswald Cobblepot would learn to love someone unconditionally besides himself for once after his mother’s death.

He had to keep a low profile with a boy that was presumed dead and Sofia Falcone out and about and possibly already on the hunt for said little boy but nothing could hold him back from buying that kid a bit of ice cream after they had made it back to the Narrows and his apartment above the abandoned factory. _His_ factory, _the Riddle Factory_. He had agreed with Selina that he would not bring Martin to the safehouse outside of town yet - mainly because that girl did not trust him. She hadn't really wanted to leave him alone with Martin in the first place as if he would run off with the boy to use him against Oswald first chance he would get.

Then again, her fears were not too unfounded, he assumed. This was exactly what he would have done in the past had anyone given him the opportunity. In the past, which was not even three whole months ago, he would have gladly used Martin against Oswald to get his hands on the shorter man and finally kill him. He would have never harmed the boy though.

Sometimes even to himself it was an enigma why he didn't wish to deliver the deadly blow to the other man anymore. Yes, they had once been friends, joined at the hips actually. They had shared everything and he had loved him in a way. But he had loved him for the wrong reasons and the same was true for Oswald. He had said what Oswald had wanted and needed to hear desperately deep down in his heart of hearts, what his mother had once perhaps told him. And Edward … Well, he had seen a mentor figure in Oswald, someone who could guide him and show him the way.

Being with Oswald had given him power, yes, but it had kept him from becoming his own man in the long run. Oswald had needed to die for him to become the Riddler, to become his truest self and the fact that Oswald was not dead at all did not change a thing about that. He knew that their split had been inevitable because his desire for grandeur had always been there and it would have made him go against Oswald in one way or another.

For some reason, after everything, even after Oswald had shot him and thrown him into the river the very same way he had done with him, he didn't harbor any resentment towards him anymore. Not now as he sat beside Oswald's … son in his crappy apartment and was eating ice cream as if the world around them would not be going up in flames because of Sofia Falcon’s irrational thirst for power and revenge.

Martin turned his attention back to him as he tapped his pen on his notepad and showed him the message he had written. It was just a name. »Sofia?« Ed asked and looked at the boy puzzled until his brain sprung into gear and he started to understand what the boy was really asking. »Don't worry about her. The GCPD will deal with her and if they won't … someone will.«

Martin was a child and he shouldn't be bothered by the true nature of this city yet. »People like her, Martin, will never succeed in this city. Sofia Falcone is driven only by an unquenchable thirst for power because she never had power of her own. I have to admit that Oswald is pretty much the same but Oswald, unlike Sofia, learned from the best. Namely, Sofia’s own father. He knows when to stop, she doesn't and that will be her undoing in no time.«

It was true, Oswald knew when enough was enough and when to stop on his quest for revenge or for power. That was why Tabitha Galavan was still alive and why he had allowed Butch back at his side. He had seen what the thirst for revenge brought and he had decided that it wasn't worth it. At least that was what he hoped Oswald had realized. Oswald was a builder, not a destroyer. He had built something for himself. A family and an empire and he was not going to risk that for any money or revenge anymore.

Those days were over. Those days had ended when Edward had shot him.

Again there was a tapping sound and only then did Ed realized that he had zoned out a bit. » _Are you the Riddleman?_ « The question on the notepad read and Ed almost caught himself laughing at this name.

»The Riddler.« He corrected swiftly, banishing the thought of Officer Dougherty calling him Riddleman mockingly before his untimely death. »Ed. you can call me Ed.«

Martin smiled at this before he began scribbling again. » _Selina talked about you._ «

»Did she? We hardly know each other.« In fact, before joining forces to save Oswald and Martin, they had only twice met each other and one of those times had taken place in the vent system of Arkham Asylum of all places.

» _She told me about you one time._ « Martin scribbled and turned the page. » _Dad was sad and Selina said it was because of you. She said you hurt him bad_.«

He leaned back in his chair as his eyes darted over the words and then fell on the brown eyes of the boy again. It was obvious who had dressed him even though his clothes were covered in dust and dirt by now. He was unharmed, that was the only thing that mattered. Still, his little bowtie told him everything he needed to know, as did the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

»I did, yes.« Edward finally admitted. »I shot him, almost a year ago.«

» _She didn't mean that.«_  This boy … He knew exactly what was going on around him and yet he was trying to pry the information from him. » _She said he loved you._ «

»Did she now...«

» _I think he still loves you_.« Martin scribbled. » _That's why he doesn't want to talk about you. He gets sad when someone asks him about you. I caught him talking to the policeman a few times about you._ «

For once, he was actually dumbfounded. Edward had never been the most socially adept person in history but talking with a kid seemed even more difficult now than talking to an actual adult person and they were already hard enough to read at times. Martin, who didn't use his voice, made it even harder than it had any right to be. Still, he didn't need the kid to know that Oswald had suffered a great deal under the betrayal trough Ed’s hands.

He had seen it in the eyes of the man he had once called his best friend as they had been at that pier again. For quite some time, as he had been certain that Oswald was dead, had he seen his face in front of him every night. His eyes had haunted his nightmares. The face of pure despair and utter heartbreak. It was true, the measures he had taken to take revenge on Oswald … Maybe they had been a little cruel, especially when it came to unearthing the remains of his father. At this moment, however, he had only wanted to hurt him. He had wanted to have Oswald feel how he had felt as Isabella had died. It didn't matter to him that his feelings for Isabella had been forced upon him through this clone of Kristen or not. The heartbreak and sorrow had been real and he had been devastated. Even more so as he had realized the truth.

Only after the fact had he realized how shallow his feelings for Isabella had truly been. She had been the thing he had once wished for as he had dated Kristen. She had been the promise of a normal life in the suburbs, of 1.5 children and a dog. It would have never worked out. Oswald, on the other hand … He had seen him for who he was. He had seen the potential inside of Edward. He wouldn't have held him back. It was Ed’s inner darkness that had reached out to Oswald and what had attracted Oswald to him too.

»It's a long story.« He finally found himself muttering as he glanced at Martin again, his expectant eyes drilling into his very soul. »He took something from me and I was heartbroken. I lashed out. I did the only thing I knew to do and that was destroying him. He was my best friend and I wanted to hurt him as he had hurt me.«

» _Do you regret that?_ «

»Sometimes I do, yes.« Ed smirked. »It depends. Sometimes I wished I hadn't been so easy to manipulate, that I had been stronger and smarter. Everything would have turned out differently then. But I think that everything happened as it should and now … I don't know what. Maybe we can be friends again.«

Martin paused with the tip of his pen already on the paper, staring at him as if he was trying to read him like a book. He could only imagine that the boy was a great observer. People like him and Edward usually were. Edward had always been a nobody and a freak so he had pretty much blended in with the background, Martin surely experienced the same thing and that just because he was mute.

» _Do you love him?_ « Was finally the question the boy scribbled down on his notepad and for once he was not too certain what to answer to that. Luckily for him, he didn't need to answer as a sharp knock on the door told him of Selina’s arrival at the apartment.

It was the first time that he got to see Oswald in months and he was not prepared for what he was bound to see after Oswald had been in Arkham for almost two months now. He had been there and he knew what this place could do to anyone. Not to mention that Oswald had been there at the same time as Jerome Valeska. He couldn't fathom what Oswald had gone through.

The man that was walking into the apartment behind Selina, was barely recognizable to Edward. He was just the hollow shell of a man clad in the ripped and dirty striped uniform of Arkham. His hair was longer than he had ever seen it on him, his cheeks sunken in, his skin greyish, with dark circles prominent underneath his tired-looking eyes.

He looked frail inside the baggy uniform, his limp was worse than before, he was wearing mismatched shoes and socks and a nasty cut was running over his right cheek, not to mention the blood clinging to his face and the bruising on his jaw and temples or his split lips. He had obviously had a rough time inside of Arkham and the riddle he had had delivered to him had not helped in that regard.

As their eyes met he expected some form of positive recognition, instead, Oswald's eyes grew huge in anger. »What the fuck are _you_ doing here?«

 

**-End of Chapter 5-**


	6. Knuckle Sandwich

In Gotham only one thing seemed to hold true: All roads lead to Arkham Asylum. No matter what path he took, he seemed to end up there again and again. This time, however, he was truly innocent - at least of the crimes that he was being blamed for. He didn't expect this city to treat him fairly by this point. It seemed to depend on the weather and from which direction the wind would blow whether the people loved or hated him. Oswald could deal with that. He had learned to deal with that. He was a survivor. He was smart and he knew his way around. He had come a long way from Fish Mooney’s umbrella boy to the man that walked the halls of Arkham these days.

Sure, a part of him wanted to vent and rage about the GCPD and Captain Bullock’s general incompetence but in his heart of hearts, he knew that this had been inevitable and he had known that it was ever since Carmine Falcone’s death. Sofia had shown her true colors in killing her own father right after her first attempt of getting the upper hand over Oswald in taking Martin from him had failed so gloriously. Sometimes he was still amazed that his plan of blowing up the car after Martin had escaped it had worked so brilliantly.

And yet, as the GCPD came to his door not only because of Falcone’s death but the alleged detonation of a child - and not any child, but _his_ child - Sofia had beat him at his own game. Well, certainly a game of chess only got more interesting through new challenges and unexpected turns of events but he could have done without that kind of turn.

He knew that neither Jim nor Harvey truly believed him to be a child killer or the murderer of Falcone. Yet, their hands had been tied as all of this went down. He had been unable to produce Martin to prove his innocence in the matter. He had left the boy in Gabe’s care since the night of his staged death by explosion, just as long as Sofia was still around and on the hunt for something to hurt Oswald with. They had stayed at one of Oswald’s numerous safe houses and yet, as Jim got the call from Harvey that Martin was not at the safehouse and Gabe wounded, he had known that he had lost the game. Sofia had won. She had found the location and she had taken his son.

The message was clear and she didn't have to deliver it to him. _Play nicely, accept your failure and your kid will be save_. That was why he had not resisted the arrest and Jim had known it. He had seen it in his clear blue eyes and the sympathetic look that he had granted him. »Just, take care of the girls, will you?« These were the last words he had said to Jim before he had been sent to Arkham once more.

That was two months ago.

Two months in and he had not heard a single word of reassurance about Martin. Selina and Ivy had written to him once or twice by now, even Gabe had sent him a heartfelt letter about how sorry he was that he hadn't been able to protect Martin. Well, sure, he had been furious as he had heard of Gabe’s failure and in his rage had even shouted something along the lines of ‘he should better be dead!’ but in retrospect, he was glad that Gabe had survived the gunshot wound to his side, though only narrowly. Still, none of them had information about Martin for him. He yearned for a visit from Jim or anyone who could tell him something while Sofia Falcone was prancing around the city playing the grieving daughter. Of course, Jim could not possibly visit.

For the public, the GCPD and especially Sofia, it was of the utmost importance that no one knew that Jim was already investigating her. Everything had to look like Jim was on her side in this, as far as that was even possible in that regard. She knew that Jim was not her lapdog ever since Jim had refused the captaincy that she could have given to him after sabotaging Harvey with Pyg and his shenanigans. However, not being her lapdog and actually investigating against her, were two different kinds of things. Jim had to keep a low profile and could not possibly be seen here.

Though he knew all this, it didn't make things easier.

Had his first time in Arkham been a nightmare, now it appeared as if it had been a Sunday walk in the park compared to the second round. The main reason was, of course, Jerome Valeska who held the common room under tight control. It was deeply humiliating to be tortured by someone so much younger than him but Jerome knew no boundaries and he was lucky to still be alive at this point. He had only very narrowly escaped a murder attempt of that freaking ginger-snap thanks to his quick working mind. Of course, he only had to thank himself for that for the guards couldn't care less. He knew by now that he would not get out of here alive would he remain even two more weeks inside of this hell hole together with Jerome.

The young man was oddly obsessed with him ever since Oswald had set foot into this building again and that was not cause for excitement on his part. This was why Oswald found himself writing a letter to Jim at last, imploring the man to either get him out of here for he was fearing for his life or, if not, to see that his last will, which he included, would be respected. He had implored the girls not to try anything stupid while he was gone. They shouldn't get mixed up in all of this chaos too, it was bad enough that Martin was suffering because of all of this. He wanted them safe and well-cared for and nothing more than this.

»You are a lefty!« The nasal voice of Jerome Valeska made him almost jump away from his small little desk. »Had I known that I would have broken your left hand instead!« It was sheer instinct that compelled Oswald to cradle his right hand protectively against his chest at those words. His entire body was a rag rug of yellow, purple, black and blue bruises by this point. His right shoulder was almost black and though he was certain that there was at least one broken bone in his shoulder, the Arkham staff was not too eager to have him checked out by the medical staff.

Jerome laughed as he saw his reaction and raised his gloved hands in an almost comforting gesture. »Relax, pretty Bird. I come in peace.« Jerome grinned. Then again … He always looked as if he was grinning. He was the Cheshire Cat of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter wasn't far either, locked away in solitary confinement somewhere deep down in the bowels of Arkham. But if Jerome was the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter was also here … What did that make him then? Was he Alice in this strange world that was Arkham? Or was he the white Rabbit that always came too late to the tea party? He was going crazy. »I just want to tell you that there was a call for you.«

»Was?« He almost didn't dare to look at the man but since it was not like him to cower in fear from anybody, he looked at him anyway.

»Yes.« Jerome grinned and threw himself on Oswald’s bed. »One of the guards told me. There’s a message for you. Better be quick now, pretty Bird.«

Indeed Oswald clambered from his uncomfortable plastic chair and out of the room without thinking twice about it - even though it might look to Jerome as if he was fleeing from him. Only his unfinished letter he took with him and was quick to shove the papers into his overall, just in case. It wasn't far from his cell to the guard that usually took the phone calls for the inmates. These days in the post-Strange-era of Arkham, the place was much less like a mental Asylum and much more like a prison in every aspect of it. It was an awful, awful place and no one here cared about the well-being of the patients or even about healing them. At least Strange had tried.

He had not slept through the night just once since he was here. The nights were freezing cold and Jerome Valeska was in the cell right next to his. He was the equivalent of a monster lying under his bed and waiting for him to fall asleep or have his foot dangle from the bed. Most nights he spent curled up in a corner of his room, rocking back and forth. The last time that he had stayed at Arkham had been bad enough because of the torture he had been subjected to but he had been drugged out of his mind half the time. These days he could feel and hear everything. He felt and heard every little thing and that made him sick. He could hear the screams all around him, the mumbling in the night, the tell-tale sounds of crimes being committed in the cover of darkness.

Never in his life had he been more terrified and as if it wouldn't be bad enough as it was, he was tormented by flashbacks of the past horrors he had lived through the last time he had been here. He hadn't showered in at least two weeks because he was too afraid of the entire process. He was terrified of having to strip naked in a room full of lunatics - including Valeska. Hell, he was even terrified to strip in front of the guards when they would force him to take a bath.

The last time had been awful enough and he was still living through the humiliation of it all every day. Of course, to the guards, having someone like the Penguin himself at their mercy had come as great amusement. As if Jerome wasn’t worse enough, they too loved to make his life a living hell in here. He would forever be haunted by his first day inside Arkham this time around. How he had been stripped and forced in that ice cold bathtub. How two of the guards had prodded and probed him, made fun about his stature, about his ridiculously thin body, about every little imperfection they had found on him.

»Cobblepot!« The guard at the table on the hallway chimed up as he heard him approach with one squeaking shoe and lowered the comic he was reading. _Detective Comics_ or some crap like this. Then again, could he fault the man? There were no heroes in Gotham, so of course, people would turn to crap like this. There had been a time when he had thought that Jim Gordon was some sort of hero and, in a way, he was. »Some guy called, wanted me to give you a message.«

»Finally!« Oswald hurried closer to the table quickly just as the guard rose to his feet and stepped up to him. Even if he would not hunch over so badly these days, the man would still be noticeably taller than him.

»I could lend you a hand but you won’t find me helpful. My name may sound tasty but the flavor is dreadful.« A riddle? A god-damn riddle! Was this Edward’s way of further humiliating him? He wanted to yell at the guard in front of him but then he would be thrown into solitary for certain and although he wouldn't need to deal with Jerome then, he might be in even greater danger in these small cells.

The answer to that ridiculous riddle blurted out of his mouth before he could think twice about it. »It's a knuckle sandwich, isn't it?« He turned to the guard and only as he smiled at his response with a solemn »Yeah!« escaping him, did Oswald realize what he had just said.

»Oh, no.«

Even in the sick ward, he was not granted his peace. His nose was broken and his head pounding. He didn't know how he even got to the sick ward in the first place. The punch had knocked him out cleanly as it appeared. He had hit his head too, apparently. A nurse had stitched him back together only half an hour ago. At the very least she had tried to take care of his broken hand as best as she possibly could with the limited amount of supplies. She had just been about to clean the blood from his face, as the door to the sick ward was opened with an electric little hum as the door was unlocked and a familiar face came into sight.

»Bullock!« His first instinct was to scramble into a sitting position. He knew that he didn't need to be afraid of Harvey but he couldn't help it. »That is a surprise.«

»Oswald, good to see you too.« Usually, he would have been certain that this was meant sarcastically but the way Bullock looked at him as he stepped closer, he thought that the man might actually mean what he said. »I just have a few questions about a former employee of yours.« He had never seen Bullock so civil and _gentle_ with him. He was maybe not half as bad as he had always thought, maybe Bullock even felt bad for him after he most certainly knew that Oswald had not done what he was framed for. However, before they could share another word, a shrill scream rang through the hallway just outside, followed by a shot.

»They got guns!« One of the nurses outside screeched and while Oswald's first reaction was to look panicked to the door, Bullock was already pulling his own gun from its holster underneath his jacket.

»Open that door!« He almost wanted to yell at Bullock not to leave him as he was clearly in mortal danger now. Whoever was out there, Oswald was not nearly naive enough not to believe that they came because of him. After Bullock had fled the sick ward, a number of things happened way too quickly for Oswald to truly understand them in his weakened state.

As the first shots were fired outside, panic broke out inside the sick ward and most patients who were not sedated and able to move left their beds in terror. The nurses were scrambling to regain control over the situation while simultaneously not start to panic themselves. Nobody seemed to notice how the grill of the vent in the wall just beside Oswald’s bed was opened quietly. The vent was just at the floor right next to his bedside table and Oswald only realized that it was opened because of the hiss coming from down there.

»Ozzy!« Oh, he knew this voice even before Selina’s face peeked out of the vent. He sprung into motion right away as no one paid attention to him anyway. The vent was barely big enough for a grown man to crawl through, even a short and thin one like he. There was no time to talk or think or do anything but crawl through the vent as fast as he possibly could which was not very fast with his broken hand and feeling dizzy thanks to the head wound and the painkillers.

Later, he would not even know how he got out of this hell hole. He knew that there was a laundry chute involved and running through a system of tunnels down in the sewers underneath Arkham until he was finally able to breathe fresh air again. A bit further down the hill from where they had escaped the tunnels, a black jeep was waiting for him and Selina and only as the car doors were slammed shut behind them could Oswald fully grasp what they had done. Until then, everything had been a blur and a disorientating rush of colors and sounds.

However, as soon as he was sitting inside the car, everything became reality again as there was suddenly a tuft of red hair in his face and his arms full with one Ivy Pepper. »You look horrible!« Ivy cried out as she let go of him finally and only because Selina actually pulled her back by the back of her green dress. Oswald had bought this dress for her a few months ago. Sure, he was not very fond of the color green thanks to the man that called himself the Riddler, but Ivy had been so in love with that dress that he had had no other choice.

»What did they do to you in there?«

It didn't matter. Not Jerome, nor the humiliation as he sunk back in his seat. In the front of the car, he could see Butch, who threw a glance and a smile over his shoulder from the passenger’s seat and Gabe behind the wheel. Their eyes shortly met through the rearview mirror. »Good to have you back, Boss.« The brute behind the steering wheel hummed and Oswald even managed a tired little smile of his own.

In retrospect, it seemed like a miracle that they actually managed to get away by car without the GCPD catching on to them. Or had Bullock been a part of all of this? He wouldn't dare believe that.

»I told you not to do something stupid. Martin will be in grave danger as soon as Sofia will learn that I escaped!« He wanted to yell, really, but he did not have the energy for it. He felt utterly and completely drained and exhausted. But he was free. He was free and Martin was now in danger. Suddenly, he would be much rather still stuck inside the asylum.

»Don't worry about him.« Selina grinned sheepishly. »We already took care of Martin. Didn't you get the message?«

»What message?« Oswald frowned but even that made his nose hurt like hell. Surely, he looked as if he had had a fight with a lawnmower and lost. It was absolutely ridiculous, humiliating even. But then it clicked in his head and he couldn't bite back the little growl. »Ed. You asked Ed for help!«

»No, Silly!« Ivy chimed up from where she was squeezed between Oswald and Selina and flung her arms around him from the side just so that she could rest her head against his chest. She was a very handsy and cuddly kid, that much he had been quick to learn. » _He_ came to us! He heard what happened and he wanted to help because he loves you!«

»Ivy don't say stuff like that when it's not true!« Selina groaned with a roll of her eyes. She, at the very least, did not seem fond of Edward Nygma and just as skeptical about his involvement as Oswald was. Ed came to them to help them? He couldn't quite believe that. Or rather … What did he hope to gain from that?

»But it is!«

»It's not! That's cruel of you!«

Under different circumstances, the mention of Ed loving him from Ivy’s mouth would have made him rejoice but as things were now, he just couldn't find it in himself to find joy in this. Surely, it was just one of Ed’s tricks to get to him and finally put a bullet in his brain. Still, he put his arm around Ivy even though it hurt and pressed a kiss to her unruly hair.

※※※※※※※

They arrived at the narrows without incident as the sun was already slowly sinking on the horizon. They had taken a few detours on the way just to be safe and somewhere along the lines, Oswald had dozed off every now and then, snapping awake fully only as the car was parked in some dark alleyway.

A dark alley in the Narrows, to be more precise. He would recognize that place even half asleep. Usually, he would be unsettled by that but right now all he cared for was to see Martin again. Though he couldn't deny that he felt nervous knowing that he would have to face Edward Nygma once again today after that long a time in which he had barely even heard a word from his former best friend and nemesis. In comparison to Jerome Valeska, however, Ed suddenly appeared quite a bit more appealing to face off with.

As they walked up the stairs he felt as if he was about to collapse any second now and he was afraid that this actually showed a little too much on his face too. He couldn't have Edward know how weak he truly was just now. He couldn't have him see how vulnerable he was. Yet, it was Selina who actually supported him on their way up a set of metal stairs inside the abandoned factory. This factory had been part of Maroni’s empire decades ago. Meat processing, if he recalled correctly. Maybe glue. Who knew. Now it was the infamous _Riddle Factory_. Ed had never been the most creative person.

As they reached the apartment door and as Butch knocked sharply three times on the metal door, he did his best to put on his best angry face that he could possibly muster right now. Edward had made his home in the former office of the supervisor as it seemed. Well, this was oddly fitting for that green bastard and his absolute obsession with being in control at all times.

He couldn't name the look in Ed’s eyes as his own blue eyes finally met Ed’s. It was his first instinct to yell at Ed for being involved in all of this and for having the audacity to help him in his quest for freedom. He didn't need Edward Nygma and he certainly didn't need Edward Nygma to go around and protecting Martin or the girls or anyone that was close to him.

»What the fuck are _you_ doing here?«

 

**-End of Chapter 6-**


	7. Reunion

The air was cuttingly cold and the sky of a steel grey color above the Gotham harbor. It was silent for a moment after two shots had been fired, except for the screeches of the seagulls circling overhead searching for fish. The fired bullets had killed the two burly gangsters instantly, sending them both to the ground with two impressive thuds.

There was a moment of uncertainty that followed the death of the two men. A long moment in which Oswald held his gun aimed at the man he had just saved and loved a long time, almost a lifetime ago as it seemed now. It seemed almost impossible that only one year had passed since he had confessed his love to Edward Nygma.

As he looked at him now down the barrel of a gun with Edward mirroring his posture perfectly, decades seemed to have passed since then. They seemed to be strangers once more and he hardly recognized the man before him, who had blood all over his face. However, there was still this side of Oswald that hated how Edward looked at him now. His face was pale in contrast to the dried blood all over his jaw, his shrill green suit ripped and torn and splattered with blood. He had never liked seeing him in pain. He had never liked seeing him with blood on his face. Even when he had hated him, even when he had wanted him dead, he hadn't been able to stand seeing him hurt. Because there was still this nasty little voice in the back of his mind, ever present, clinging to his love for Edward.

 _You only get one chance at love in your life, Oswald. And if you find it, run to it_. His mother's words never left him and it had seemed to be cruel irony that he would find his soulmate in a man like Ed who, at times, only wanted to see him dead.

»Oswald!« Edward rasped finally but made no move of lowering his gun as Oswald stepped closer slowly, his right leg dragging after him, his right hand bandaged up. His whole body was still a world of agony after everything he had endured in Arkham. At least Lee had been able to fix his nose to the best of her abilities without the proper equipment but it still hurt.

Would Ed want to tackle him now … He wouldn't stand a chance.

»How?« Ed gasped and only then Oswald slowly lowered his gun. »What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be in Gotham! Did you already kill Sofia?«

»No.« Oswald replied and finally, even Ed lowered the gun but the danger still remained. The softness of his own voice surprised him perhaps even more than it surprised Edward. »She left before I reached the mansion to pursue Jim Gordon.«

»Why didn't you just stay at the home then?« Ed gasped. His face was a mask of utter bewilderment. »Wait ‘till she came there and kill her then?«

»Then I wouldn't have been here on time.« Under different circumstances, would he still be that puppy-eyed desperate little man he had been a year ago, the answer would have been expected. However, he was not that same person anymore and Ed was rightfully skeptical of his words.

»You gave up your revenge for me?«

It took him a moment to reflect on everything that had happened in the past couple of days, months really, maybe even years as he looked at Edward in front of the backdrop that was his beloved city. Soon he would reclaim his position as mayor once more and everything would go back to normal - or as normal as it could ever be in a city as this. He stepped closer still and then put his gun in the pocket of the ugly oversized coat that Ivy found for him behind a dumpster in a side alley of the Narrows. It stunk and he didn't wish to know what kind of vermin was currently residing in the fibers of the fabric, but it kept him warm for now and soon he would be back home again. Jim Gordon and Captain Bullock would find a way to spin Oswald’s tragic tale to explain how and why he escaped from Arkham and why he would not be forced to return. His name would be washed clear from every accusation again. He would be the tragic hero of this story of intrigues and violence, the silent hero who had risked everything, even his own life, to help the GCPD to get a criminal like Sofia Falcone who had tormented the city with Professor Pyg’s help, to justice.

»Trust is so very hard to find in Gotham.« He finally replied as he stopped an arms-length away from Ed, the man who had tried to kill him numerous times and who still held a gun in his hand. The wind was ripping on his unkempt hair that had grown quite a bit longer during the past two months in Arkham. »But I trust you, Ed.« The confession was a lot harder than he would have expected. »You saved Martin. You helped the girls to get me free again. You didn't need to do that.«

There was a moment of hesitation from Edward before the tall man too put the gun in his hands away, shoving it through his belt loop on his back before he slowly stepped closer. There was a moment Oswald was almost certain that Edward wanted to go in for a hug, maybe even more, but then he stepped beside him and overlooked the river with him.

»I have a strong desire to never, ever see this pier again.« He rasped after a moment of silence.

It was more than just a statement, more than just a funny little line. It was something that drew a line underneath everything that had happened. Ed had shot him here at this very pier and he had shot Ed here too. He had almost died twice on this pier and so did Edward now. They were done shooting each other, done with their thirst for revenge.

But what did this mean to them now?

They could resume their friendship from here on or they could go their separate ways in peace like complete strangers that were bound to clash some faraway day in the future once more. »I agree.« He huffed and turned on his heels to leave the pier for good. Maybe whatever would become of him and Ed was a decision he didn't need to make now. He was not supposed to be here anyway. He left it to Edward to drive away from the pier as he sunk into the passenger’s seat and was soon passed out from all the stress and exhaustion.

At least that gave him the much needed time to reminisce over how he even got to that pier.

※※※※※※※

»Would you stop pacing already?« Selina sighed in annoyance at her adopted father as she leaned back in the cushions of some worn down sofa across the room in front of the old brick fireplace. A lifetime ago, Don Salvatore Maroni had sat on a wooden chair in front of that very fireplace as Oswald had pointed a gun at him. Ivy was curled up beside her on the sofa and though not yet quite asleep, very close to dozing off. Martin, on the other hand, sat perched on the armchair at the right-hand side of the sofa facing the door of the small cabin, his eyes never leaving Oswald. In fact, ever since they were reunited, the boy had hardly left his side at all. »He’ll be back soon.«

»He should have been back hours ago!«

»So what?« Selina huffed. »It's not as if you would still like the guy, right? What do you care if he’s dead or alive? If anything, it would be good if he’s dead and not there to continuously try to kill you whenever he feels like it.« It didn't escape him how Ivy gently punched Selina’s left thigh at those words. The little redhead seemed quite fond of Ed for whatever reason. Selina, however, was apparently quite protective of him when it came to Ed. According to Ivy, she had not been fond of the idea of working with Ed. »I mean, yeah sure, he helped us out but he’s still a douchebag, right?«

Was this a test? He couldn't decide and he didn't care. It was of little importance to him now.

»He should have been back hours ago.« He repeated once more as if that would be a proper answer to Selina’s question. Through one of the small windows of the cabin, he could see Gabe’s car. The cabin was on the countryside of Gotham, just an hour or so out of time and he remembered how once he had made the drive out here with Maroni, fully aware of the danger lying ahead. On that particular day, he had ended up almost being crushed to death by a car compactor.

Gabe and Butch had left not long ago to get supplies. After all, Oswald and his kids would stay at this cabin for as long as it would take to end this whole debacle with Sofia Falcone and that could indeed be quite a while. Maroni’s old safe house was his now and only one of many but certainly the most inconspicuous and not exactly the first place anyone would ever come looking for him or his kids. Surely, Sofia knew about his escape from Arkham, after all, she had sent Zsasz to get him, not knowing that he was a double agent.

He couldn't deny how vulnerable he felt out here. He hated being dependent on others. And could he really trust Gabe and Butch? Could he really trust Zsasz? The only person he did trust was Jim Gordon. Even Harvey had risen quite a bit in his good graces as of late. After all, the old dog had played along in all of this until now.

Yet, he still felt this fear crawling up the back off his neck and begging him not to let down his guard. Inside this cabin, they were like in a fishbowl. It only took one of the people he had to rely on to snitch on him and his kids and they would not know until it was too late.

First, he had wanted to have them send somewhere else, maybe even as far away as Metropolis if necessary, just in case. He couldn't stand the thought of having his kids getting caught in the crossfire and yet he was glad that he had them with him. He was glad to see them well and alive and on his side. Too much time had he spent without them in Arkham. Maybe he was a little sentimental, but he had grown used to having them around him and nagging him constantly. He had actually missed them inside Arkham. And Martin … Poor little Martin who had suffered through one traumatic event after the other. It was time that there would be a bit more peace and quiet now for the boy and his girls.

Yet, he couldn't stop pacing through the old wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere. Ed had left in the morning, shortly after they had arrived at this place under the cover of darkness to gather information about Sofia and her plans as much as he could. They needed to know her plans if they wanted to take her down. After all, Oswald still had to kill this woman for everything she had done to him. If not for himself than for Martin. However, Ed was meant to come back around noon and now the evening hours of the days were close already. What if something had happened to Ed?

Not that he should care.

He was at the door and ripped the ugly ass coat from the wooden coat rag beside the door before he could think twice about it. He was still wearing his Arkham uniform in lack of choice of clothing for that matter. Before they had left Gotham, Jim had actually sent Lee over to fix him up as best as she could have with the limited supplies but his body was still hurting like a bitch from head to toe.

»Ozzy!« Selina yelped as he opened the door with one swift move. »And where do you think you’re going now?«

»I’m going to end this once and for all.« Oswald snapped as he threw a glance over his shoulder at the girl on the sofa. However, looking at Martin, he actually felt bad. The boy had gone through so much shit lately and yet, as his eyes met Martin’s, the little boy only gave a small nod as if he already knew what was going on in his head. »I will deal with Sofia Falcone so that we can finally go back to Gotham!«

Maybe it was unwise to drive with only one functioning hand and a head wound but Oswald still got in the car and drove off towards Gotham before anyone could possibly stop him. Yes, he felt bad leaving the kids behind like this, not knowing what might happen in his absence, not knowing when Gabe and Butch would return to them. He trusted in Selina’s skill to keep the two younger ones safe if it would ever come to this but in truth, he didn't even think about that as he drove off towards the big city.

Oswald didn't know where to start looking for Ed. He could only think of Sofia Falcone’s estate but it would have been suicide for Edward to go there just to gather information against this woman to bring her down. He appreciated the effort, though he was still wary when it came to Edward and his intentions towards him. He knew that he couldn't trust him just like that. He knew that Edward was probably playing a secret game of which Oswald still had no clue. He was certain that Edward would try to take his revenge for the murder of Isabella again the moment he was sure that Oswald would trust him again. It was as Selina said: it was just a matter of time until Edward would stab him in the back again.

And yet he parked the car down the street from Sofia’s estate and watched the front door in anticipation. It was around fifteen minutes later, that he saw the front door open and Sofia leaving the house together with Zsasz. Sofia’s car was parked in front of the mansion and both her and the assassin did not waste time to get in. There was a split second as Zsasz shot a glance down the road and Oswald immediately knew that the assassin had noticed him despite his best efforts to duck behind the steering wheel.

Of course, Zsasz was on his side but one could never be too cautious.

Seconds later, the phone he got from Butch earlier that day buzzed in the pocket of his Arkham overall. With clumsy fingers, he pulled out the phone from his left front pocket and opened the new message that he had just received. »Sofia got Nygma. Her goons are bringing him to the harbor to shoot him. Wouldn't give you up. On our way to get Penn now.«

Oswald was still staring at the message ducked behind the wheel as Sofia’s car drove off. He didn't know what to think or what to feel right then and there. Penn. He had only shortly talked to Lee about Penn because Jim and Harvey were also looking for him to bring Sofia down. The Spa Bosh Sunka, that was where Oswald had sent the policemen and Sofia would not waste a second thought before ordering Zsasz to kill them both. He could follow Sofia to where Penn was and take his revenge, knowing that Zsasz would be on his side. It would be easy. He would be able to put a bullet in her brain and be done with it. However, if he would follow her to get his revenge … Ed would be dead. He could not have both. The sound that was escaping his lips at that moment was even to him painfully conflicted.

Then, however, before he could further think about it, he started up his car again and started driving.

※※※※※※※

Reclaiming his home a few days after Sofia Falcone had been sent into the hospital by a bullet to her head courtesy of Lee Thompkins, felt still a little odd. He had only been gone for two months, no longer than that and yet, he didn't quite feel at home immediately while the girls reclaimed their rooms with glee. Martin was as uneasy as he was.

Ever since Oswald had returned from that pier together with Edward to the cabin on the outskirts of town, Martin had not left his side. He had told Oswald that he had never doubted his save return to them. Yet, the way he kept close to Oswald spoke a different language entirely. That was how Oswald found himself sitting in the half-light of the front sitting room of his mansion one evening with Martin curled up beside him on the sofa in his PJs fast asleep. He had demanded to keep Oswald company as he had read the statement his secretary had typed earlier about Oswald's involvement in the Falcone scandal.

It was now a matter of _if_ the public would eat that statement that painted Oswald as a mere pawn in her game and an ally to the GCPD in this endeavor or not. With Jim’s help and a few good words from Captain Bullock, he might be able to take back his mayoral seat soon before Aubrey James could get too comfortable in his office again. To the public, Oswald Cobblepot had helped the GCPD in their investigation against Sofia Falcone and had played a crucial part in bringing her and her criminal empire, including Professor Pyg down. He even went to Arkham for two months willingly to protect his adopted son from Sofia Falcone and aid the GCPD. It would help that photos of him leaving the GCPD in his very deranged state already circulated. Only this morning his beaten-up face had been plastered all over the front page of the Gotham Gazette adorned by one more tasteless article from Valerie Vale.

»Penguin or martyr?« The deep voice of his former enemy, former friend and former ally, ripped him from his darkening thoughts. »Miss Vale is truly a paragon of creativity when it comes to catchy headlines.« Edward scoffed from the doorway as he slowly walked up to the sofa on which Oswald sat with Martin. That poor boy had fallen asleep almost immediately after Oswald started reading that statement to him. Understandable. It was devastatingly boring.

The reality had been much more exciting as this statement that painted him, a professional criminal as a good guy. Oswald had never claimed to be a good guy. Even when he ran as mayor, even when he got his position back the first time had he never claimed to be anything but a criminal and the head of the underworld.

As Oswald shot a glance over his shoulder to where Ed was hovering behind the sofa with the morning newspaper still clutched in his hands, he bit back a small smile. They might be on friendly terms again for now but that did not mean that he trusted Edward. He was still uncertain about this whole situation with him and why he even allowed him to stay at the mansion. Edward had his own place in the narrows, after all. He had his own kingdom, finally. He had always known that Ed wouldn't like being a sidekick, so maybe their falling out had been inevitable in the long run. There couldn't be two kings on one throne.

»How’s your hand?« Edward asked after he cleared his throat and only as he stepped around the sofa to sit down on the armchair on Oswald's right-hand side, did he seem to notice Martin. That didn't keep Oswald from putting his left index finger at his lips.

»Psst.« He made. »He finally fell asleep.«

»Sorry.« Ed whispered as he sat down gingerly. Almost he reminded him a little of the Edward Nygma he had once nursed with ginger tea after Ed had gotten choked by Butch Gilzean so brutally. Well, months later, Oswald could understand why Butch had reacted the way he did. There had been moments when Oswald would have wanted to choke this man like this as well. »How's your hand?« Edward repeated quieter this time.

»Getting better.«

»Thankfully you are a lefty.«

»Thankfully.«

There was a long moment of awkward silence between them where only the sound of the crackling fire could be heard in the room and all Oswald had eyes for was the fire dancing in the old marble stone fireplace.

Only after a few moments had passed, Edward cleared his throat again to gain his attention. »Oswald, I wanted to talk to you about something very important.«

»I figured.« Oswald scoffed as he finally looked at him from the side out of sharp blue eyes. He thought back to the old Oswald. The old Oswald would have melted from the look Edward Nygma shot him right at that moment. »You are still here, after all, and not went back to your rat infested little kingdom in the narrows.«

»Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.« Edward replied clearly flustered by his words. »I thought that … Maybe I could stay. Not forever, of course, that would be strange, I assume … Only for a while. Only until the peace returns to Gotham and you to your office at city hall.«

»Peace? In Gotham?« He snorted and gave a small roll of his eyes. Of course, he knew exactly what Edward was implying and he wasn't falling for it - not like the old Oswald would have. »I agree, it would be strange would you stay here for longer than necessary.«

»Oswald, I … I am sorry for what happened in the past between us. I am sorry for how this all played out and all this mess and for …. shooting you.«

»Loving you was a sacrifice, you know?« Oswald started as he looked Ed straight in the eye, cutting him off before the other man could continue to ramble on like the old Edward he had met a lifetime ago at the GCPD. He couldn't possibly listen to him talk about what happened between them in the past. He could not possibly give this man the chance to sneak back into his heart. »I gave you the power to destroy me, Ed. And that's exactly what you did.«

»Oswald, I know that…« As he sharply raised his left hand, Ed shut up immediately.

»However, no amount of pain or heartache can take away how happy you made me feel back then. You gave me back my confidence and made me believe in myself again.« He continued even quieter. »And for that, I will always be thankful to you. But that does not change a thing about everything you did to me, Edward, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that. Ed, I am glad that we are on friendly terms again. But I think it might be better if you would return to the Narrows soon.«

 

**-End of Chapter 7-**


	8. A match made in Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you were confused, I took out chapter 2 'No one listens to Ivy' because I just didn't like it. However, I will have a similar chapter with the same title soon - but much better. I chose to do this not only because I didn't like the chapter anymore but because I decided that the story will have a more consistent structure. Now we have the first chap as a form of Prolog, a glimpse of the future so to say and we begin the journey to that point in chapter 2.

To his surprise, it was Ivy Pepper who had had the biggest qualms with Oswald asking Edward to leave. He had noticed that the girl was fond of the green idiot but he had not taken this too seriously. Maybe nothing more than a minor puppy-love-crush on the handsome man ex-forensic scientist. After all, the girl did not know Edward the way Oswald knew him. She did not know him at all, really. Still, Ivy seemed convinced that Edward was actually a good guy. Maybe it was just because Edward had actually helped them and had not yet proceeded to stab any of them in the back, although Oswald was still very much certain that it was only a matter of time until that would happen anyway.

Yes, of course, he was thankful that Edward had helped them in this whole Sofia Falcone dilemma and that he had gone out of his way to save Martin, a boy he had not known before and had no reason to care about, so that the girls had been able to break him out of Arkham. But did this change anything between him and Ed, in the end? They could talk to each other like civilized people again and there was not an over looming threat of violence in the air between them any longer every time their eyes would meet, but truly … What difference did that make?

They were no friends anymore, they were not even accomplices anymore. Oswald had taken back his position as mayor once more and Edward was just another random criminal residing in the Narrows. A bank robber, to be more precise.

So, one might ask how Oswald had ended up in that situation then. A couple of miles above Gotham City in the middle of the night after his good old friend Jim Gordon had decided that he would let him stew up in that blimp just for a little while longer now - with Ed Nygma and an unconscious pilot, to make matters worse, as if the situation would not already be bad enough as it was. It was a funny story, actually, although Oswald could not quite find it in himself to laugh about it just yet.

It had all started with Jerome Valeska breaking out of Arkham with a bunch of other inmates, including but not limited to a bunch of mindless drones, but more importantly Jervis Tetch and Jonathan Crane. Jerome had been quick to gather the likes of Bridget Pike and Victor Fries into his group as well. He called it his _Legion of Horribles,_ thus proving his lack of imagination, and Oswald was certain that, if he wouldn't be Gotham’s mayor, he would have _asked_ Oswald to join them too. In fact, Oswald had lived in a constant state of fear ever since Jerome had broken out of Arkham and it was pure coincidence that he got information about Jerome’s plans from Victor. It had turned out that Victor Fries was not too fond of Jerome anyway and certainly not fond of having to work with Bridget either.

Learning about Jerome’s plan was what had prompted Oswald to consult Jim about those plans too and what had, in the end, led to him being inside of this blimp high above Gotham with Edward Nygma. What would have once been a sweet dream seemed to be a waking nightmare now.

He had been in a meeting with only his most influential allies in the morning as it had happened. Jerome and his men had swarmed city hall and taken them all hostage for his plan. However, in the end, Oswald had not ended up on stage like the others including Bruce Wayne and Jeremiah Valeska, the unfortunate twin of that maniac. He had been drugged and woke up much later in that very blimp, tied to a metal shelf with zip ties.

Even greater of a surprise than being on a blimp high above Gotham with a pilot, who had clearly been hypnotized by Tetch, steering the thing, was the fact that he had not been alone with the pilot but joined by none other than a man in a loud green suit. It turned out that Ivy, of all people, had called Edward for help after Butch returned home to get the kids into safety first due to the latest developments. Why Ed? He had honestly no clue. Apparently, Ed had been knocked unconscious though as he had sneaked onto the blimp before it took off and Jerome’s goons had then decided to also tie him to that same shelf.

However, in the end, Edward had indeed been helpful in not only getting free but knocking out the pilot and steering the blimp safely away from Paisley Square and towards the river.

»I can't believe that you don't know how to land a blimp.« Oswald sneered from his seat on one of the wooden crates in the back of the blimp.

»I can't believe you don't know how to stir a blimp.« Edward shot back over his shoulder. Beside him on the ground lay the unconscious pilot whom they had tied up with some of the leftover rope that Jerome’s goons had used to bind together the containers with the toxic laughing gas. He still felt uneasy being in such close proximity to that stuff.

»And how would I know how to do that? Though I am a man of many hidden talents, I am not a pilot, my dear Edward.«

»Do you really classify crocheting as a talent now?« Edward smirked and he couldn't quite help the effect his smirk had on him. It was true that this Edward, the Riddler version of his friend, was much more confident than the Edward he had kept close to him the first time around and he quite liked confident men, which was why he had fallen for James Gordon all those years ago, after all.

»Well, do you know how to crochet?«

»No.«

»Then it's a talent.«

»Why do you even know how to crochet?«

»My mother taught me, of course.« Oswald replied with a slight roll of his eyes. »As she taught me many other things too.«

»Like what?« Apparently, his former best friend was trying to make small talk with him to kill some time until the GCPD would finally help them to get down from this deathtrap. He was anxious. Oswald had always hated heights and he had never even set foot on a plane before. He never had any reason to travel by plane anyway. His home was Gotham and why would he ever want to leave her? All of this was new and awful.

»Why do you care?«

»Because you look anxious.« Ed replied. »I wouldn't have thought you to be the type who was afraid of flying.«

»Penguins, my dear Friend, are flightless birds, as you may now. And I don't like being up high in the air.« Edward actually produced a small laugh at his remark. »But if you have to know a list of my hidden talents to use them against me sometime in the future: I can crochet, I can knit, I can sew, I can cook, do the laundry, and I can clean properly - unlike a certain someone. My mother was always very stern with me in those duties. She wanted me to be able to sustain myself alone because, after all, she could not stand the thought of another woman in my life who could do all these things for me. In addition to that, I learned Hungarian while growing up, Russian, a bit of German, a tiny bit of Italian through working for Falcone and Mooney and I taught myself Dutch after I met my father.«

Edward seemed impressed but not quite surprised. He had heard Oswald talk in his mother tongue before, after all, and he had been there as Oswald had learned Dutch too. »Other than this, I had piano lessons as a child and I am not the worst singer in the world either. Before Fish destroyed my leg, I was even quite the good dancer I must say.«

»And you have one of the best memories I have ever seen in another person.« Edward suddenly chimed in and turned away from the wheel. »I admit that I was always a little amazed when we worked together just how good your memory is. You had to look at small details just once and you memorized them all even weeks later. Your talent for reading other people too always left me awestruck, for it is a quality I do not possess myself. I had always had a hard time getting social clues but you never seemed to experience such problems.«

»Except for when I trusted you and told you that I loved you, huh?« Oswald scoffed. »Good thing I am a quick learner.«

Maybe a part of him was still bitter about all of that. He wished to be able to go back to that day and not confess his undying love to Edward with big puppy eyes and his heart overflowing with joy while Ed had so cruelly set a trap for him. It was a memory that would sometimes still wake him up at night and made him stare in the mirror only to curse himself. Had he never done that, maybe Edward would have never realized that he had killed Isabella. Not that it mattered … The truth would have come out one way or another.

»Why do you still believe that it's only a matter of time until I stab you in the back?« The question came seemingly out of nowhere and prompted a small huff from Oswald in return.

»Because you will. And we both know that.«

»In my defense, you were the first to stab me in the back as you killed Isabella.« For once there was no anger in his voice at the mention of this tragedy. »She might not have been real, she might only have been a clone put in my way to cause trouble between you and me, but my feelings for her were true - at least to some degree. I can see now that most of my love for her came from my unresolved feelings for Kristen that I projected onto her, but it was still real in a way and you took her from me still. I believe my resentment towards you was justified back then.«

There was a long moment of silence between them as Oswald just stared out of the large window and admired the scenery outside. Gotham was glittering in the darkness, her golden lights reflecting on the river as they were circling over the city until help would arrive. Wouldn't they be up so high with toxic gas, he might even enjoy the view.

»You know what?« Oswald finally sighed. »I agree.«

»You what now?«

»I agree. Your resentment was justified. I had no right to take her from you. And you were right as you told me that I was just a child that always threw a temper tantrum when it didn't get its way. It's true. Isabella was a temper tantrum. She stood in my way. I loved you and I knew that something was wrong about her and I knew that you would never believe me. I wanted you to myself and that was wrong. I learned from my mistakes back then. That does not change that I do not trust you, though.« This time as their eyes met, somehow there was a certain sense of sadness welling up inside of Oswald that he could not quite explain. It felt oddly final, this little conversation of theirs. »I trusted you with all my heart back then and you shot me. I understand why but … it doesn't change the fact that you broke my heart.«

Ed took a moment before he slowly turned away again to look out of the window and adjust the direction of their flying vehicle. He didn't know what to make of Ed’s reaction or not-reaction to his words and Ed probably didn't know what to make of his words either. They were stuck in this loop of heartache and frustration, distrust and anxiousness. They were drawn to each other like the moth to the flame. They wanted to be close and they were both afraid to get burned again. At least, that was how he felt in that moment.

»Hey« Ed finally broke the awkward silence that had settled between them once more. »Did I ever tell you about how I hallucinated you singing to me in a tuxedo and top hat?«

Had he had anything to drink he would have spit it out just now. What was he even supposed to say to this? »I beg your pardon?«

»You see, after I thought that I’d killed you … I have to admit that I was a mess. With you, I had killed a part of me as well. I was lost, didn't know what to do. I made a huge mistake and I couldn't take it back. I tried to calm my mind with drugs just so that I could sleep and figure out what to do but, in the end, all the drugs did were making me hallucinate. I guess it was inevitable that I started to see you instead of what I was used to seeing in the past. I was still looking for your guidance and help.«

»And then I sang to you?«

»Yepp, sure did. It's true you don't have an awful voice, I actually quite liked it.« Ed chuckled. »I was desperate and didn't understand what my mind was conjuring up those days. I think I do now.«

»And yet you tried to kill me again as soon as you realized that I wasn’t dead!« Oswald exclaimed.

»My only apology for that is that I had finally understood who I was and then you came back and I felt as if I was losing ground again, as if I lost touch with who I truly was without you again. I felt that you had to be dead for me to thrive, no matter how much I did not want you dead. Not to mention that I knew that would I not kill you, you would want to kill me.«

»So what now?« Oswald sighed. »Do we agree to stop trying to kill each other from now on?«

»I think that would be a start. But I don't want to go our separate ways, Oswald.«

»Edward-«

»I know we talked about it before.« Ed finally turned away from the wheel completely and left it to its own devices just for a moment as he walked over to the crate on which Oswald sat. »I helped your kids because I felt I had to because otherwise, I would never get the chance to tell you how I really felt for you.«

»Ed-«

»I love you, Oswald.« It was as if his heart had stopped beating all together for one moment. He didn't even know what to think or feel. Months ago these three words were everything he had ever hoped to hear out of Ed’s mouth and now he felt lost. In Ed’s brown eyes he tried desperately to find a hint of what Edward truly felt in all of this. Certainly, he was trying to throw him off. »Maybe I always did but could not see it before now. I know I told you that you were not capable of loving anyone but yourself back then and I thought that this was true until I saw what you did for those kids. First, I was certain that this was just a publicity thing but I saw you with them and I realized that it was not just for show.«

»And suddenly that changes anything because…?«

»Because I realize that I was wrong. When all of this happened with Isabella, I was certain that you not truly loved me but was just jealous that I was giving attention to someone else.« Edward was too close for comfort at this moment and almost he forgot where they were and as he leaned forward still, Oswald was all but certain that he was going to kiss him. It was then that the blimp made a small dip and Oswald almost fell off his crate.

Edward stumbled backward at the same moment and Oswald could only grab the sides of his crate to stay on. »Ed! The blimp! Would you quit talking nonsense and steer this death trap back into safety already?« He didn't even mean to shout, it just happened naturally when he found himself in mortal danger. At least Ed was quick to catch himself and return hurriedly to the steering wheel. The blimp was back on track in no time thanks to his quick reaction. »Truly, Ed! I can't begin to understand why Ivy likes you so much!«

»She likes me?« Ed finally shot back over his shoulder and even had the audacity to grin. »That girl has good taste I see.«

»No, she is just of the fantasy that you might actually be a good guy, Edward.« He snorted but actually felt a grin creeping up on him. Oh, how ridiculous this situation was! They were high above Gotham in the middle of the night after they had saved Gotham together from Jerome Valeska and his merry band of lunatics and now they were truly discussing whether his daughter liked Edward or not! »And only because you have a thing for redheads, I would advise you to stay far away from my daughter.« It was meant as a tease of course.

»I don't have a thing for redheads.« Ed chuckled. »I have a thing for weird little men in fancy suits that walk with a limb.«

»Would you stop talking such nonsense already?« Oswald huffed with annoyance lacing his voice quite clearly. »I learned a lot in this past year, Edward, and even if I believed your words, I would not be stupid enough to fall for them this simply.«

»This simply?« Edward replied quieter. »What proof do you need but my words? There has been a time when you would have done anything to hear those words from me.«

»And that is precisely why I will not just believe your word for it. And even if I did … I can't tell if I still feel the same way, Ed. I meant what I said. You broke my heart and I can't so easily forgive and forget that.«

»You forgave Jim.«

»His intentions were always pure and it was not his fault. Plus, he never shot me in the gut and left me to die in stinking rotten harbor water.«

»I will never hear the end of that, will I? I mean, I thought we were even after you shot and threw me in the harbor too!«

»This is ridiculous.«

»The only ridiculous thing is that you are holding onto that crate for dear life instead of coming over to me and have a look at that beautiful view from up here.«

»And when I come over, you are going to open the hatch and throw me out, yes?«

»I am not going to throw you off that blimp, now come on over! Are you a chicken or a penguin?«

He would certainly not allow Edward to make fun of him and he would not look like a coward to this man either! He couldn't help but be reminded of that ridiculous article about him a few months ago, of course, but more importantly, he remembered what he had seen as the gas had hit him in the face. Ridiculous that Edward Nygma of all people was his biggest fear and yet he couldn't change a thing about it. Perhaps he didn't even want to change a thing about it.

Finally, with a grunt, he hopped off that crate and slowly limped his way over to the window. »I am not a fan of peer pressure, just so you know, but I think you are right, Ed. When are we ever going to have such a beautiful view ever again? I still hope that Jim finally gets us down.«

»You are aware that he takes his time because I am here too? He would get _you_ down in a heartbeat, your most favorite policeman, but me? No, he likes to have me stew up here.« There was still resentment in Ed’s voice for Jim Gordon. Well, it was to be expected, he assumed. After all, Ed never got his revenge on the detective.

»I can't help it that I am everyone's favorite, Ed. You just have to loosen up a little.« He could not quite mask his discomfort as he stepped up to the wheel carefully, his arms outstretched in front of him in search for something to hold onto. He only found Edward to hold onto as he extended his left hand towards him. He was a bit reluctant to grab it but did so anyway as the blimp took another slight dip that made him stumble. »Hands on the wheel, Nygma!«

Ed, however, had other plans as he quickly pulled him closer towards him. With one skillfully executed twist and turn of his body, Edward had managed to pull Oswald between himself and the wheel.

»Why aren't you steering the blimp for a moment?«

»What?« He hissed glancing over his shoulder, very aware of how close they suddenly were and though that would have greatly been appreciated months ago, now it felt him with unease. » _Steer_ a blimp? I don't even drive my own car, Ed!«

»Time for you to learn it then. You know, for the next time we find yourself trapped in a blimp!« He was enjoying this. He had a jolly good time, as he took hold of Oswald’s hands and put them on the wheel. He could not quite deny the tingle running through his entire body just by this touch alone, just by feeling Edward’s much larger hands over his and his lean body pressed against his back. It was entirely too close and too intimate and he felt his breath hitching in his throat. He had spent so much time fantasizing about something like this and now here he was and he was speechless and unable to breathe.

»Just keep your hands on the wheel, look outside and relax.«

»Relax? We are miles above the city!«

»Only a couple hundred feet perhaps.« Edward hummed and he felt his hot breath against the back of his head, tousling his hair even. All of the sudden, Oswald started to feel extremely self-conscious. Of course, he was dressed his best as always but Ivy had demanded to do his hair this morning. She wasn't the best at it.

Ivy … The kids! Surely, they were worried sick. throughout all this drama and action he had almost forgotten about his kids. And then Ed retrieved his hands and pulled them away from his. First, he was glad and thought that Edward would take a step back, maybe that he even was a little exhausted from steering the blimp for so long but instead he felt Ed’s hands on his waist all of the sudden.

»What are you doing?«

»Relax.« Ed huffed and he could feel his lips too close to his neck to even remotely focus on the river down below. »And look at the stars.«

»This is not the time to be romantic, Ed.«

»I think it might be the perfect time.« Ed's voice was deeper and a lot more husky as he spoke this time and Oswald swallowed the lump in his throat. He kept his eyes on the skyline ahead, on the beautiful lights of the city that he and Ed had saved today glistening on the Gotham river. Soon they would reach the open sea would they not continue circling above Gotham. It was truly a marvelous sight to behold. The stars above, the moonlight flooding into the dimly lit cabin of the blimp, nothing but silence and the sound of the propellers. Under different circumstances, this would be incredibly romantic and maybe even something he would have fantasized about.

»See?« Ed spoke up again and his breath ghosted over his left ear, sending shivers down his spine. »You are already much more relaxed.«

As Oswald turned away from the window and let go of the steering wheel this time, he was sure that Ed had anticipated, maybe even planned this turn of events because the moment Oswald turned around to leave his position, he was captured by Ed’s strong arms wrapping around his midsection. Ed’s lips were upon his in a matter of seconds and Oswald was too dumbfounded to fight against him, let alone even think clearly.

His knees were suddenly soft and unreliable. Would Edward let go of him now, he would certainly fall. This didn't happen, though. Instead, as Edward’s lips moved against his, Oswald finally woke from his stupor and instead of fleeing, he wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, his eyes screwing shut at the sensation as he allowed his lips to part and Edward’s tongue to meet his own.

» _Hello?_ « He didn't realize the sound he heard crackling somewhere behind him. » _Hey! Oswald! Can you hear me?_ «

Jim. _James Worthington Gordon_. Of course, it would be him who would intrude on such a moment. » _Oswald! If you can hear me, we figured out how to get you guys down safely now!_ « As he parted from Edward he realized that he had actually risen to his tiptoes to meet the other man. He was breathless as he looked at Edward with hooded eyes but the radio continued to crackle with Jim's voice and all he could do was huff a small laugh.

»Time to go home, I guess.«

※※※※※※※

**“PENGUIN LEARNS TO FLY - MAYOR COBBLEPOT SAVES GOTHAM”**

Oswald thought that he would never quite tire of the ridiculous headlines that the writers of the Gotham Gazette could come up with on a regular basis. This morning, however, he had almost dropped his morning paper as he had first seen that particular headline. Selina, however, was merciless and had already snatched the newspaper away right after they had sat down for breakfast. It was rare these days that she even joined them so early in the day but after everything that had happened in the last night, it had to have been expected. Bruce Wayne, her not-boyfriend-boyfriend, had come out unscathed, after all.

»It's not even true either.« Ed huffed after he took a sip of his morning coffee. Having his former best friend here this morning felt odd, though just a little. It had been late as they had finally made it to the Van Dahl estate and so he had allowed him to crash here too. After all, Zsasz had been in the home for the rest of the night and had Ed tried to murder him in his sleep, he might as well have tied a noose around his neck in advance. »I stirred the blimp and you whined about being up too high above the ground, grabbing a crate for dear life!«

»Mayor Cobblepot was supported by his former chief of staff and _sidekick_ Edward Nygma who held the hypnotized pilot in check while Mayor Cobblepot heroically stirred the blimp into safety away from Paisley Square where Jerome Valeska intended the gas to drop and infect thousands of people. We haven't seen Mr. Nygma and Mr. Cobblepot, the former dream team at city hall, work together for a long time and can only wonder if this is an old flame rekindled.« Selina ended with a huge grin on her face as she looked both men dead in the eyes.

Ivy snorted into her cornflakes and the blush on her face crept right up to her ears as well. Only Martin looked at them puzzled but that was only his usual expression after a night as short as the last one.

Still, as Oswald sat the with the words still hanging in the air around them, he could not help but wonder what this thing between them was either.

 

**-End of Chapter 8-**


	9. Little Bird

Edward Nygma knew one thing for certain these days. The way back into Oswald’s heart and life would only go through his adopted kids. He still had a hard time referring to Martin, Ivy, and Selina as Oswald's children but he knew that it was more than just an alliance between those four, more than just friends. They were family. He had seen that the moment Oswald had been reunited with all three of them in Ed’s apartment. He didn't quite understand it but he could see that it was indeed true.

Not to mention that he had never thought it possible that Oswald would ever be a father, no matter the circumstances of his fatherhood. Nor had he thought that Oswald would ever want this in the first place.

Still, the kids were the way to go if he wanted Oswald to fully trust him ever again. The kiss on the blimp had been a start, but it was nothing more than a start. Jim Gordon had proven his talent to always mess with his plans once again as he had decided to interrupt them over the radio. Of course, there was no way of telling how far things might have gone had Jim not interrupted them. He doubted that they would have fucked on that blimp because Edward knew that Oswald was still far removed from trusting Edward enough for that.

Then again, Oswald was always good for a surprise and he was a very passionate man. Who knew if he wouldn't have thrown himself at Ed in passion. However, Ed thought that it was better this way. They were just starting this new stage of their relationship and they didn't need to rush things. Or at least, he hoped that they would get more time together.

To ensure that he would get to spend more time with the man he loved, however, he needed to get Oswald’s kids on his side. The easiest for that seemed to be Ivy. Already the little-redheaded girl seemed to be on his side, even though he had no clue at all why that seemed to be the case. She just liked him for some reason. Selina was a lot tougher in that regard. She hated his guts.

It was Martin he had the least concerns about although the little boy looked at him with suspicion most of the time when Ed would hover around Oswald too much for his taste. Just as Selina, Martin seemed quite protective of Oswald, as Ed had learned. The boy had seemed friendly enough towards him after Ed had rescued him from his kidnappers but the boy had been through a lot and seemed antsy and fidgety ever since normalcy returned to his life, almost as if he was constantly afraid that some bad guy would come and take it all away again. Which was, in all honesty, not all that unlikely in a city like Gotham.

By now he could at least set foot into the Van Dahl mansion without Butch or an over-protective Gabe aiming a gun straight at his head. And so, as he walked through the imposing front door of the mansion and into the rich interior of oakwood casing, high polished floorboards, decorative carpets and heavy paintings, he was greeted by the familiar scowling face of Gabe. He was not a fan of Ed. For the longest while, Ed had been certain that Gabe was only with Oswald because he feared him. Not out of respect or even loyalty but because he was aware that Oswald was, in fact, a lunatic and ready to kill him if he saw a good reason for doing so.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

Gabe had had numerous opportunities throughout the past couple of years to betray Oswald or even kill him and yet he had not done so. He had protected him numerous times and was still here. Apparently, his wife sometimes even sent Gabe to his boss with homemade lasagna. He was very much part of the family, though perhaps more like Oswald’s most trusted golden retriever than an actual person.

»Afternoon, Gabe, how are you holding up?« He addressed the other man as cheerful as he could possibly muster at his sight. Then again, he had good news indeed and in the inside pocket of his suit two tickets for Oswald's favorite opera.

He only got a deep harrumph from Gabe before the man closed the door in his back. He even took Ed’s coat to hang it on the coat rag. »So, where’s Oswald?« It felt odd to have such a casual and normal talk with Gabe after everything. Things were a bit too peaceful for his liking at the moment, ever since Jerome Valeska had died so tragically. He felt like it was now only a matter of time until shit would really hit the fan.  

»Study.« Gabe grunted. »Tries to help the little bird with his homework.«

»Oh geez.« Ed scoffed. »I better go save that poor kid then.«

Was this a small smile tugging on Gabe’s lips? A smirk perhaps? A chuckle? Amusement? Whatever it may be, Ed finally walked down the hall to where he knew the study was located. He would find his way in this mansion blindfolded, led through these hallways by the whispers of memories of better days. They all knew that Oswald was the most impatient man in existence and poor Martin had to endure this.

The closer he came to the study, the more apparent became it to Edward that the poor child was in great need of help. He could already hear Oswald losing his patience with the small boy. He was not shouting or yelling as he usually would be when talking to one of his employees, but he sounded clearly agitated and on the verge of losing all composure. Hell, if anything, Ed knew how that sounded.

As he walked inside the study he saw Oswald standing behind the huge imposing oakwood desk. Martin looked ridiculously small at Oswald’s desk as he sat in the mayor’s large chair. Martin’s curly hair was just as ruffled as Oswald’s by this point. »Edward!« Oswald addressed him the moment his blue eyes fell upon his former best friend. There was actually relief washing over his face as he looked at him even if only for a second. Martin seemed just as relieved as he smiled at Ed and gave a small wave. »What brings you here? I’m afraid I am quite busy at the moment.«

»What are you guys doing?« Edward asked shrugging off his concerns.

»Homework. Mrs. Waterstone, his teacher, is of the opinion to give my boy homework on the level of high school students, though! It's ridiculous!« The glance Martin shot his father was priceless and all that was missing was him rolling his eyes. Clearly, Martin was not of the opinion that his homework was too hard for his age per se.

»Is that so?« Ed stepped closer and he saw that twinge of hope in Oswald’s clear blue eyes. Of course, the mayor was quick to straighten out his suit jacket and stand up straight. »Maybe I can help?«

»You know what?« Oswald huffed and stepped away from his desk. »Please do. I have an important call to make anyway. Maybe you can make sense of this algebra witchcraft.« Oswald walked past him quicker than Edward had time to actually say anything else to him. Suddenly, he found himself in a completely new and unexpected situation.  When he came to the mansion he had planned on giving those opera tickets to Oswald and invite him to dinner afterward. He was not the most successful person when it came to wooing another person and Oswald seemed not really the type who wanted to be dined and wined but it was the normal thing to do and that was what he wanted.

He was headset on showering Oswald with the affection he deserved after all the shit they had been through in the past year. Yet, first, he saw himself confronted with a small boy on a way too big chair looking up at him with great expectation.

A moment later, he found himself looking at the homework in question and snorted inadvertently. Typical Oswald. »Let me tell you a secret, Martin.« He smirked. »Oswald is awful when it comes to doing actual math. Well, as long as it does not involve money or the profit he is going to make off of things.«

Martin grinned and scribbled something on the notepad that he had put on the desk beside his homework. » _I noticed._ «

Martin Cobblepot was a smart boy. There was no question about that. He had already realized that he was a smart kid during the few hours he had had him in his shitty apartment waiting for Oswald’s safe return from Arkham. However, doing his homework with the boy, Ed caught a glimpse of the cleverness within. Maybe that was what had caused Oswald to adopt the boy. He was not just clever, but there was this mischievous twinkle in his eyes that reminded Edward of Oswald quite a lot too. Who knew, maybe in a few years he would grow up to be just as cunning as Oswald and would someday maybe even take over from the infamous Penguin.

Ed could already see it in front of him. Martin would certainly grow up to become the spitting image of Oswald. He would someday be a handsome young man in an expensive three-piece suit and take over Oswald’s empire as soon as Oswald would decide it was time for a change. Maybe the fact that he did not speak would make him even a little more frightening to his enemies than anything else. People tended to get nervous when met with silence especially in potentially dangerous situations.

They were done with the math homework in no time but still, Edward had no chance to leave Martin and go do what he was here to do anyway. Well, he could hear Oswald shout from the front sitting room anyway. There was a small tug on his sleeve that caused him to look down on the kid at the desk again.

» _Do you love him?_ «

This question again. He had escaped answering it thanks to Selina’s arrival at the apartment a few weeks ago. Of course, Martin would not forget about it, though. No, in this regard, he was much like his awful adopted father.

With a long drawn out sigh, Ed sat down heavily on one of the spare armchairs that seemed to stand around uselessly in nearly every room of that mansion. Having way too many chairs around a house was a sign of being filthy rich, apparently. »I do.« He finally admitted and pulled out the opera tickets from his jacket only to wave them at Martin. »I planned on asking him out tonight.«

» _You should do it!_ « Martin scribbled quickly and his eyes sparkled in excitement. » _He would be so excited!_ «  

»You really think that?« Ed tried not to smile too much in the face of such excitement. »I don't really know what he might like me to do or not these days. There has been a lot of bad blood between us in the past. I wouldn't blame him for not wanting to date me.«

He could be glad that Jim Gordon had finally made it down the aisle for once with Lee Thompkins at last, after so many failed attempts. Otherwise, he would not put it past Oswald to try and call dibs on Jim just to spite him. Then again they had kissed not too long ago. Since then, however … Well, Oswald was a busy man and if he wouldn't know it any better he sometimes thought that Oswald was hiding away from him at city hall or his office at home.

» _Of course!_ « Martin replied. » _Dad really likes you. He told Ivy that you kissed him and since then he is really annoying because he won’t stop talking and he always looks at his phone. I think he expected you to call or message him._ «

His heart actually beat a lot faster at this statement. He could feel how his ears turned red even. Children. One could only love them for their brutal honesty towards anyone. Martin did not care if he was spilling a secret that could possibly lead to Oswald’s downfall. All he cared for was that his adopted father was happy.  

» _Ivy said that he is in love and that is why he runs around like a nervous peacock._ «

Well, that was a fitting description and yes, Edward had noticed that Oswald’s attire had changed since that whole Sofia debacle was over. He reminded him much more of the Oswald that had once been freshly appointed to be Gotham’s mayor again. He was even wearing mascara again to make the blue of his eyes stand out more. He probably thought that Ed had not noticed but, of course, he had and he could not deny the effect that this had on him either.

Oswald might not be a conventionally attractive man but he was quite beautiful to Edward. He had always thought that he was pretty, even before and after this whole drama with Isabella. His own personal resentment because of the things Oswald had done had nothing to do with how attractive he was to him and yes … had Isabella not come into his life … Well, who knew what would have happened. Maybe Oswald had confessed his love to him and maybe Edward had fallen for him as well. But it was just as possible that Ed had just needed this wake-up call to fully grasp what Oswald meant to him. Maybe he had needed to become the Riddler and accept his inner demons to fully understand Oswald and his obsession with him because he too had been obsessed with Oswald. Being with Oswald was always a thrill. He never knew what to expect from this man.

»And what do you think about that whole situation?« Edward quietly asked. »What do you think about me? Or me being with Oswald?«

If Martin would like him enough to put in a good word for Ed … Well, maybe this thing between them had a chance then.

Martin seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment as he tapped the end of his pencil against his chin in much the same manner as Oswald would do whenever he needed to fully contemplate what he was going to say or write. Edward was one of the very few people privy to this kind of display from Oswald. He was certain that only those closest to him had seen Oswald behaving like this.

» _I like you._ « Martin then scribbled quickly. » _And Dad likes you too. And I think that you could make him happy. I want to see him happy._ «

It was as simple as that and yet it meant so much more. Martin approved of him and that was a step forward in the right direction. Now, as he heard the unmistakable shuffle of Oswald’s limp back towards the study, all he had to focus on was his mission.

However, the Oswald who walked through that door was a man in a rush with ruffled feathers. »Martin, are you about done with your homework?« He addressed the boy hastily.

»Oswald, there is something I wanted to ask you-« However, Ed did not get very far with his question as Oswald walked past him quickly.

»Thanks for your help, Ed.« He turned to Ed after he had cast a glance on Martin’s homework. He even managed a smile despite the hurry he seemed to be in. »I would invite you to stay for dinner, Olga already prepared everything … But I just got a call and I need to attend this stupid interview at the GCPD. Jim will be there too. At least this way Lee or Bullock can have an eye on Martin. The girls are at the Waynes’ tonight after all.«

Martin shot him a glance and pointed towards Ed’s chest, to where he knew the tickets were hidden in the inside pocket of his jacket without Oswald actually noticing. »So … How long will this take? If you’d like we could-«

»You know how those vultures from the Gotham Gazette are, Ed. It could take all night. I don't expect to be back home before midnight.« Ed was too dumbfounded to say something at first as he watched how Oswald was ushering the boy out of the room.

»Why are you taking Martin, though?«

»Gabe has his free evening tonight and Butch has some important thing with Tabby. I could leave him with Olga, but Martin does not speak and she hardly speaks English - not to mention that she will teach him to throw knives at the wall or talks about the old world all night again. I think being at the GCPD with Lee will be much more exciting than that.«

»Why don't I stay with him?« The words escaped him before he knew what he was saying. Not only Martin turned around in surprise and amazement but Oswald too. »I mean you said it yourself, Olga already prepared dinner. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. I could stay with him, have dinner and keep an eye on him until you return. We will find something to entertain us for sure.«

Oswald’s gaze slipped from Ed’s face to Martin for just a moment and only after a long moment of pause. Martin just beamed at his dad. It was still so very odd to think of Oswald like this. Still, this man seemed to be capable of everything he set his mind upon. »Are you sure?«

»Sure, why not.« Ed shrugged. »No big deal, right Martin?«

It really was no big deal as it turned out. Martin was easy to be around and not just because the kid was mute. They were talking throughout the entire dinner. Martin was scribbling and using up page after page of his notepad, even starting to try to teach Edward a little bit of sign language and boasting about how his sisters and Oswald already were almost fluent in it by this point. He was actually impressed to hear that. It was true that Oswald could achieve anything if he was putting his mind to it and he had seen the other man teach himself Dutch after his father had died. But he was still impressed that Oswald had learned sign language in such a short amount of time. He was a rather impatient man, after all.

They ended up in front of some odd movie on the sofa in the living room at one point. From this room, they had a beautiful look over the garden with Ivy's greenhouse being not too far away from the main building too. It was a peaceful evening and Martin soon fell asleep on the couch, curled up under a blanket next to him. He thought about bringing Martin to bed. He did not know where the little boy had his room, though he could probably figure it out quite quickly. Still, it felt a little too intrusive to get Martin, a kid that was not his, to bed in a house that was not his.

Instead, he kept watch over the boy and kept watching that silly kids movie and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep himself in the darkness of the room, lulled into sleep by the soft noise of the TV and its flickering lights that were dancing over the walls and the antique paintings.

As he woke up, Edward could not tell how long he had been asleep, only that the TV was no longer running and outside the world was pitch black. Almost it was as if tar had been poured all over the windows, so thick was the darkness. His first instinct was to look for Martin and his heart almost stopped as he found that the boy was no longer resting beside him. He jumped to his feet in an instant, his heart racing in his chest and his blood frozen in his veins. Oswald would kill him if something had happened to Martin!

»You are awake.« The voice was calm and quiet and came from the doorway behind Edward. As he whirled around, he very narrowly escaped slipping and falling on the slippery soles of his cheap dress shoes. Despite the darkness around him, he could clearly make out the unique shape and posture of Oswald standing in the doorway, illuminated only from a dim light in the hallway behind him. »I put Martin to bed.«

A groan of relief washed out of his throat and Ed drove a hand through his hair. »You scared me. I thought he has been kidnapped and already imagined all the undoubtedly creative ways you would slowly torture and kill me with.« Ed huffed and for a moment he was almost sure he had seen a smirk on Oswald's pale face. It was impossible to tell, of course. »What time is it?«

»One AM.« Oswald replied quietly before he cleared his throat and started slowly moving towards him. He was like a shadow detaching itself from the wall and floating through the room.

»How was your interview?«

»It was okay.« That was a big fat lie. Interviews at the GCPD, no matter of what nature, were never just _okay_.

»Do you mind if I crash on your couch for tonight?«

»No, but wouldn't the bed be more comfortable?«

The question lingered in the air around them for a moment like fog over a lake in the wee hours of the morning before Ed could grasp the true meaning of the words. »You mean…«

»I mean I can't risk Olga having a nervous breakdown in the morning when she finds us naked on the floor.« He said it with so much confidence that Edward had no other choice but to close the distance between them right away. Before Oswald could even begin to take back his words, he had pulled him towards him at the back of his head and pressed his lips to Oswald’s. Oswald was just as greedy a kisser as he was greedy in every other aspect of his life.

This time, there was no wasted time and as Ed’s tongue begged for entry into this sweet mouth of the mayor, he was granted access almost immediately. His silver tongue was just as skilled a dancer as he had always suspected and although Oswald had so little experience, he made up for it with enthusiasm.

The way up the stairs and to the first floor until they finally reached Oswald's bedroom was an odd one and a constant struggle not to fall or stumble as they seemed unable to keep their hands to themselves. He had lost his suit jacket somewhere on the staircase and his left shoe on the first-floor landing followed shortly by its twin. Somehow he had even managed to get off Oswald’s purple brocade tie on the way. Oswald's expensive suit jacket had been left behind in the living room already. Stripping Oswald out of the rest of his clothes was difficult but perhaps the best part about it all. Oswald was always wound so tight and stripping him out of layers and layers of expensive clothing that he was wearing like an armor around his thin body was like unwrapping a Christmas present. Only once had Edward seen the other man naked and that was when Oswald had been unconscious and in dire need of medical attention.

It was only then in the dim light of Oswald's bedroom, that he had a chance to fully admire his body - the milk-white skin and the dusting of freckles all over his shoulders and chest. The push to Oswald's shoulders that made him lose balance and fall flat on his back on the sofa mattress was maybe a bit unfair in light of his disability but there was no time to ponder about it as Oswald already pulled him back in at his tie. The way Oswald's tongue licked over his bottom lip was almost enough to make Ed lose all self-control.

They were much quicker to lose the rest of their clothing after this.

As he pulled Oswald towards him for yet another kiss, it was much more feverish than before and Edward decided to let himself get consumed by the kiss entirely. After a day like this, he did not feel much like fighting any more than absolutely necessary. In truth, all he wanted now was Oswald, his lips, his hands, his body. He wanted to protest as the kiss broke apart again but already Oswald was kissing his neck and wandering down on him as if they had done this a million times before. It seemed as if Oswald wanted to spend ages worshipping the sculpture that was Edward's body after he had pushed Edward onto his back, while his impatience was yet very obvious. He would have never expected Oswald to spend his time descending down his body with wet lips and a curious tongue, while eager hands were tracing the arch of his pec and ribs on his way down to the solid ridge of his abdominal muscles.

He was more muscular than Oswald, broader - if not much -  than the mayor and kingpin of Gotham, but that didn’t mean Oswald had anything to hide either even though he was dressing and hiding away behind an armor of expensive suits every day. Oswald probably didn’t even know how stunningly beautiful he was to him or how gracefully his body was behaving when he moved despite his disability. He didn’t know why Oswald was allowing this now, tonight - and maybe it would be better not to ponder about it either. He didn’t stop Oswald as he sunk to the mattress between Edward's legs. They had lost their last items of clothing anyway a little while ago and Edward found his boxers carelessly discarded on the ground.

As Oswald was pressing sloppy kisses to the silken flesh of Edward's inner thigh, he could not help but produce a low moan. He was trying to buy himself more time - that much was clear to him. Perhaps he wanted to prove something to Edward – only that Edward would have none of this as he buried his fingers harshly in Oswald's hair and ripped at his head to get him up again. Before Oswald could even protest, he was buried underneath Edward. Frustration and confusion were both very visibly on Oswald's face and Edward could hardly hide the grin creeping up on him.

Oswald furrowed his brows, as Edward grabbed his jaw a little harder than usual, but then he moaned in shock, as Edward brought his groin down against Oswald's own. He could feel Oswald's cock digging into his stomach. Oswald's hands were on his back in a matter of seconds again, his nails digging into his skin, drawing a low chuckle from Edward in the process. »Impatient, aren't we?« He teased as he was hovering above him, not willing to do much. »You don't need to rush anything.« Although they had wasted so much time in the past with all their fighting and revenge.

»I don't rush anything…« Oswald claimed as calm as he possibly could as he was trying to breathe evenly - to no avail.

»Yes, you are.« Somehow everything they did ended up being a discussion, but still, it did not ruin his mood as he decided to ravish Oswald's mouth once again, keeping his face steady with one hand, while the other wandered down Oswald's lean body and between his open legs.

»Yes, I am.« Oswald chuckled quietly against Edward's lips as they broke apart just for a second before continuing where they left off. At least for a moment, everything seemed to calm down again as Oswald closed his arms around Edward's neck, relaxing into the mattress. It was only then that Edward truly understood just how anxious Oswald had been before as the stress seemed to leave his body now. Oswald's eyes were clouded with lust as they broke apart once more to give him the opportunity to gasp for air as Edward was closing his hand around their cocks, giving them a  few reassuring tugs, only to show Oswald that there was no turning back now anymore.

He did not want to think any more about the day he had or how he had not been able to go out with Oswald. He did not want to bother himself with the memories of revenge and bloodshed between them. He wanted to focus on Oswald and this situation now. That was all that really mattered and as Oswald moaned in sudden pleasure, rocking his hips slightly upwards to meet Edward, the events of their shared pasts became more like a bad dream than reality.

Edward's left hand was already slick with precum as he moved his right hand gently over Oswald's left thigh. Oswald moaned louder as Edward started to scrape with his nails over the sensitive skin to tease him a little more. Fiercer Edward grabbed his leg and moved it up, laying it with skilled ease atop his own shoulder, only so he could bite down hard on the tender skin and found with much delight that this made Oswald gasp in surprise and pleasure at the same time.

There was nothing for him to use as lube, no matter how much he searched Oswald's bedside table with one hand. After all, what reason would Oswald have to be prepared for something like this? Neither of them had exactly expected something like this to happen tonight, after all. And, as far as Edward was aware, Oswald had not had any sexual partners lately - if ever.

»Suck« He ordered Oswald with a mischievous grin tugging on his lips as he rubbed his index finger over Oswald’s lower lip teasingly. Oswald's lips were open just slightly, just enough to make Edward’s mind wander yet again, but at least he seemed to understand as Edward dipped the first joint of his finger in between his lips. Edward had a hard time stifling his own moan, when he felt Oswald's tongue eagerly moving around his finger, taking care to wet them as thoroughly as possible.

When he took the fingers from him, Oswald was huffing with a sting of impatience. Oswald had always been impatient when he really wanted something. At least, Edward was patient in his current state of arousal and lust, and Oswald moaned even heavier, when Edward breached him with one slick finger, then with the second as if it was nothing, melting away the lingering tensions slowly and thoroughly. When Edward shoved the third finger in after a while, Oswald's nails were grabbing for support at the bedsheet, breathing hard and Edward – grinning – drove his tongue over the leg he still had at his mercy, while he continued working him open with skilled ease until Oswald was a twitching and bucking mess underneath him, before he had even taken him.

Edward did his very best not to think too much about the fact that this was a first for them both as he grabbed the both of them again by the base of their shafts and started milking their cocks with a deft twist of his wrist. Slowing down the steady thrusts of his fingers, he eased them completely inside and enjoyed the tight heat around them as he gently stroked over the swell of Oswald's prostate. Oswald's moans turned immediately into short gasps, shocked by the pleasure his body was able to feel, for he never experienced it before. Oswald would lose it before he could even grasp the sensation and so Edward took the fingers from him with a soft chuckle.

Just as he had no lube at hand, he had no condom either, but Edward's shaft was already slick with precum, as he let go of Oswald's previously captured extremity and sunk deeper between his thin legs only to press his crotch up against Oswald body and drew the swollen head of his own erection along the intriguing curve of Oswald's ass until it caught on the now slippery puckered skin. He already knew it would be a tight fit, but now it was too late to stop anyway. He could no longer suppress the overwhelming urge to fuck him after all this time of dancing around it, of fighting and plotting against each other.

»You ready?« He asked, his voice a dark and husky promise of the upcoming pleasure he was adamant to deliver as he dragged Oswald’s hip upwards against him, spreading his legs wide in one swift move, but he only got a breathy whine in response and a wild and impatient buck as Oswald grind forward and against his slicked cock, spreading his legs wider, now that Edward was between them anyway.

However, no matter how impatient he was, Oswald tensed a little as Edward's cock slid across his hole. Ed reached down to hold himself in place, before pushing against the unyielding tightness of Oswald's body and Oswald only gritted his teeth at the sudden pain as Edward finally entered him, finally claiming him as his as he should have done months ago already instead of falling for a cheap copy of his ex-girlfriend. Hell, he should have done this as he had him recovering at his apartment during this whole mess with Galavan. The knowledge that Oswald had almost given his body and his heart to James Gordon, was almost enough to drive him over the edge of insanity.

A gruff moan was ripping through Edward's body when he finally was deeply sheathed inside the thin body and stopped for a moment to give him time to adjust to this new sensation. Edward knew that it was quite a bit to take for Oswald, but then the mayor surprised him all the more, when he clasped his legs again around Edward's waist to get him closer, aimlessly searching for his mouth – if only to suppress and quiet his pleasured moans so that no one in the rooms around them would hear them. Even if - or especially because - only Martin was in the house tonight.

Edward grinned wider as he gave into the demands of Oswald, though he could hardly hold himself back any longer, now that he was buried in the constricting warmth that was Oswald's body. His mouth was hot as lava as they kissed again. »You alright?« He managed to breathe out as they parted just slightly.

Oswald growled, but bucked his hips again, making even Edward flinch in surprise. _That's a yes, I suppose._ Oswald was probably far too dazed already to see the wide grin on Edward's face now anymore. »Well, if you insist.« He chuckled before he grabbed Oswald's wrists and pinned them above the man’s head, enjoying having him at his mercy and his arms in a tight and rough grip, knowing that his own hands would leave bruises on the beautiful body. Suddenly, he was filled with the desire to leave marks on him in all the ways possible to show the world that he was his. Maybe a part of him wanted to mark his territory so that James Gordon - or any other guy for that matter - would never even come close to Oswald again.

Oswald's body was taut as a bowstring, while Edward rocked his hips forwards and fucked into him. He wanted to make Oswald forget everything that happened in the last year between them. He wanted to make him forget the bitterness and heartache. A yelp of shock was tearing from Oswald's throat as he hit his prostate again but this time with much more strength than before. His eyes were rolling back and falling close as Edward sent waves of thickened pleasure flooding through his body, making him forget the sharp snaps of pain.

»Do not hold back.« Edward growled biting down on Oswald's beautiful throat that lay bare in front of him in invitation as he arched his spine upwards. He could feel his pulse going berserk, before Edward's thrusts crushed even harder into his body as if he owned it. Oswald's deep and throaty moans were now even louder than the wet slaps Edward produced slamming down into him, but it seemed he had a hard time even forming coherent sentences any longer now.

Then he at least managed somewhat like a response, coming over his swollen lips. »Harder…« He demanded panting, his blue eyes piercing through Edward.

Oh, he loved how wanton he sounded – and he loved to know that he was the only one to hear him like this. He was, after all, wasn’t he? There was no one else, no Jim Gordon who could interfere yet again. »You have no clue how long I wanted to do this.« He growled when he slammed into him harder and simultaneously grabbing Oswald's cock with his free hand again to stroke him in tune with his thrusts.

»Did I stutter?« Oswald suddenly erupted his head slamming back in frustration for not being able to do much. »Harder!«

He almost laughed breathlessly, before he grabbed him harder, stroking the aggression out of his body. It was almost impossible not to love this little demon when he was talking like this. But now Edward only wanted to fuck this boldness out of him, feeling Oswald clenching underneath him, aimlessly thrusting into Edward's eager hand. He wanted to urge him to slow down, but Edward himself did not want to slow down at all. And then finally Oswald's whole body was spasming in the sudden jolt of relief, his toes curling behind Edward's back and his spine again arching upwards.

It was this sight and the clenching of Oswald's body around him that made Edward's climax all the more intense when it hit him like a train. The sensation was insane, for all the time he needed to abstain from this. He didn’t remember if it had ever been this intense with any of his previous girlfriends, but he doubted it. His body never felt so caught in a riptide, never felt like he could barely move as he spent himself, riding his orgasm out while thrusting into Oswald and forcing his own body to keep moving.

Oswald was lying underneath him boneless, as Edward finally pulled out of him, but still, Oswald was quick enough to pull him close again and Edward was all too happy to oblige as he fell down on the mattress again and felt Oswald snuggling up to his side impossibly close.

It took minutes, almost hours for Edward to gather enough energy to talk again. »To what did I owe this?« He breathed heavily. Until now, all they did was share a kiss on that godforsaken blimp high up in Gotham’s sky and nothing else ever since but stolen glances and brushes of fingers against skin. Until now, he had been certain that Oswald did not even believe him as he had told him that he loved him.

»I found the tickets…« Oswald managed to produce between gasps. »You bought them for me, didn't you? But instead of going anyway … You took care of Martin.«

»That's it?« Edward huffed a small laugh. »If that's the case … I will gladly babysit your kids every time you need me.«

 

**-End of Chapter 9-**


	10. No one ever listens to Ivy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ed's A+ parenting

Being accepted into a family was maybe quite a lot to ask no matter the circumstances. However, being accepted into a family like this particular one, a family of outcasts who, by some miracle, had all found each other, was maybe a bit too much to ask. Ed could not help but feel like an intruder when he would sit down at the table to have breakfast in the morning every now and then whenever he had spent the night in Oswald’s bed. Maybe it was because every time he did so, everyone inside the room knew exactly what he had done to Oswald in the past. Maybe it was because Selina still looked at him as if he was the devil incarnate.

Maybe it would be impossible to change that girl’s perception of him. She was very protective of those she loved. Yet, Ivy Pepper and Martin looked at him with much more fondness. Especially Ivy seemed to beam at him every time she would catch Edward leaning close to Oswald or even kiss him. Two weeks had gone by since he had first slept with Oswald and since then he had hardly ever left his side. And maybe, he wondered as he listened to one of Oswald’s rants from the next room, it was better that he was not his chief of staff anymore.

By now, Ed only left the mansion to go have his shows in the Riddle Factory every other night but he realized that his shows were starting to lose their charm with the audience. Torture and murder could get a bit old after a while, he guessed. That was how he found himself in the sitting room of the mansion with a book in his lap and a plan forming in his head for his next big robbery as he saw Ivy walking by with a pot and a plant in her arms that seemed bigger than the little girl herself - not that this would keep her from carrying it though she could have easily asked Gabe to carry it for her. The big guy seemed enamored with her anyway.

He did not need to ask where she was headed. Ivy’s domain was the conservatory outside which Oswald had had refurbished and renovated just for her a few months ago. Often she was not seen for days when she did not need to attend school. This was another thing that Edward had learned pretty early on about Ivy. She hated going to school. That same thing was true for Selina too after both girls had lived quite a bit without attending a proper school and were not as used to it as Martin was. Still, while Selina could stand her ground against those who wanted to mess with her at the expensive private school Oswald was sending his kids to, Ivy was unable to do the same. She hated everything about that school from the uniform to the other kids up to the teachers.

By now, weeks after his relationship with Oswald had started to blossom, Edward had needed to contradict his first impression of the young girl quite drastically, however. She was a bit naive, yes, and maybe overly cheerful and excited, yes. She was not book smart and would never get an A in algebra for certain. However, Ivy Pepper was as far removed from being stupid as any of the other two kids. She was actually quite intelligent even.

Where Edward and sometimes even Oswald failed, she excelled. Ivy was a people person. She knew how to read people without even much effort. For her, it seemed easy to always find the right things to say in the end. And now under Oswald’s care, the young girl had flourished quite a bit. In fact, Edward would go as far as to claim that she was blooming like a rose in this large house with all the freedom she could possibly want. And he meant not just her physical appearance either. There was nothing left from that little girl in the dirty striped jumper with the tangled red hair now. More importantly, however, was that her mind was flourishing under Oswald’s care. With every day she grew wittier and maybe one day she would be able to hold her own in the ruthless underworld of Gotham.

Maybe it was as Oswald claimed and the reason why Ivy and Ed liked each other so much was simply that they both had a strong love for the color green.

It was a slow warm day, the warmest in a long time after Spring had just arrived in Gotham, and Edward felt inclined to follow the young girl outside. There was not much he could do anyway at the moment except wait for Oswald to stop ranting and raving in the distance. They had plans to make, after all, but until Oswald was not done dealing with his official business, Ed might as well have a look at what Ivy was doing in her little habitat outside. He might not be Oswald’s chief of staff anymore but that did not mean that he had not returned to aiding Oswald in balancing his work as the King of the criminal underworld.

As he reached the greenhouse, Ivy was already working on setting up this new plant, some sort of rose, she had gotten. He did not even know where the girl got that thing from and maybe it did not matter. Then again, he faintly remembered the dirt on Gabe’s trousers earlier that day and how the burly man kept talking to Ivy about his wife’s praised rose bushes that he usually imported from Italy every year to their wedding anniversary. Had he gotten one for the little girl now too?

Gabe might look like a dangerous individual but, in fact, he was only one big teddy - at least when it came to the three kids in the house. He would have suspected Gabe to betray Oswald a long time ago if he was being honest, though. Instead, Gabe seemed truly on his side and to care for Oswald and the kids. Otherwise, he would have turned his back on Oswald when he had been weak and vulnerable and not helped him to rebuild his empire.

And honestly, it was quite hard not to feel like a part of this family, even for Edward. Those kids were so easy to accept anyone into their family despite everything Ed had done in the past to flaunter that chance. At least Ivy and Martin had accepted him with open arms.

»Do you need help with that?« Ed addressed Ivy after he had entered the greenhouse through its wide-open doors. Outside of the greenhouse, the first hint of a summer breeze was rustling the leaves of the nearby trees and inside the greenhouse, it was warm and smelled like fresh moist soil and herbs. It was a peaceful place and the light from the sun diffused through the glass of the greenhouse was oddly calming and serene. Ivy was kneeling in front of the pot she had just placed on a spot on the marble tiles. »Surely, you want to plant that rose outside, right? I expect that it would look beautiful at the south side of the house.«

Ivy shot him a small smile over her shoulder. She was still wearing her school uniform but by this point, it was quite dirty as were her hands. Oswald would not be pleased to see that and Olga even less so. »Oswald is working inside the house.« Ivy spoke up as if this would explain why she was hiding out here. Before he could ask, she continued, though. »He will be fuuuuuuurious if he sees me gardening in my uniform and dirty like this.«

She could have changed clothes, of course, but by now Edward was certain that she was trying to make a point out of ruining her school uniform. He could sympathize with that. He had not been to a school where uniforms would have been a thing but he would have probably hated wearing one too. »Well, that might be true but we both know he would not say a thing if he sees me gardening in my best suit.« Ed smirked.

» _That’s_ your best suit?« The grin as she was gesturing towards Ed in his favorite green two-piece suit, was almost a little too thick for Edward’s taste but instead of replying anything he just scoffed. »I like that idea, though. This rose would be beautiful on the south side, but not yet. Gabe promised that he would bring me a few more. Then I plant them all at once.«

»Well, I help you then, I guess.«

For a second, she looked him over and held his gaze for much longer than he might feel comfortable with as if she was indeed reading him like a book. He did not question her ability to do so either. Her green eyes were always oddly intense but even more so here in her territory where she seemed to feel the safest and the most in control. Here, she was the one who made the rules. Here, she was the one in charge. Here, she was the Queen. There was confidence in her voice and in her eyes when she would speak about her plants and even more so when she was here in her greenhouse.

»You do know that you don't need to warm me to you, right?« Ivy asked with a clarity to her words that most people would not think she possessed. Well, most people underestimated this little girl anyway. »I already like you well enough, Ed.«

He actually felt a little flustered as he slowly sat down on a wooden crate that stood around uselessly in the greenhouse and hat once held a bunch of ceramic pots before someone had emptied it and turned it upside down. »Though everyone, especially Oswald, can’t figure out why that might be the case - me included.«

»Oh, come on! Now you just want me to flatter you.« Ivy huffed with a dramatic roll of her eyes that she clearly copied from Oswald. »I am not that dumb, you know?«  It was then that she dropped her gaze at the ground for a moment and rose her shoulders just a little more as if shielding herself from the undoubtfully hurtful response to her words. »Though everyone thinks I am, I guess. Especially at school.«

The thing most people would say out of reflex would be something like ‘No one thinks you're stupid’. However, Ed was not like most people and his social skills beyond awkward. »Most people are fucking stupid.« Ed finally replied and when Ivy looked at him he actually mustered a smirk. »I know how you feel.«

»Oh, please.« Ivy groaned and her tone of voice was eerily similar to Oswald’s when he was getting too sassy for his own good which usually ended in him being punched or threatened with murder. »I doubt that, Eddie. You are so smart. Certainly, no one ever thought that you were stupid.«

»Maybe not that, yes, but when I was your age, I had a lot of troubles at school as well.«  

»You had?«

»Yeah.« Ed sighed and drove a hand through his hair. It felt oddly surreal that he was sitting here with this girl like this, talking with her about normal stuff for once. Sometimes, he forgot that even _supervillains_ as he had to lead a normal life from time to time and that it was not just action and drama all the time. »The other kids in school thought that I was a freak and I certainly felt like one too.«

»Did they make fun of you?«

»Constantly.« He chuckled. »I was just the weird riddle-boy to my classmates - though I was smarter than all of them. Of course, they tried to profit off of that. I mean, the jocks often bullied me into giving them the answers to tests or to do their homework - stuff like this.«

»At least you got a family to help you will all of that, though.«

»Family? I wouldn't quite call it that.« His family was actually a sore topic for Ed but Ivy deserved to hear what she wanted to hear if that meant she might feel better about herself. »My father was an abusive asshole, you know?« Ed shrugged. »Most of the time he was drunk after he lost his job in the Maroni sardine factory. He was a drunken bastard before that too, but after he lost his job, it only got worse.«

»Did he hit you?«

»Quite a lot, yes. But he beat my mother harder - Yet, she refused to leave him, you know? To this day, I don't know if she was just afraid of leaving him or if she actually thought it was love. Anyway, she died. She was mugged one night on her way home from her workplace. She was working as a nurse at the time. The guy shot her, took her purse and left her in the middle of the street. I was alone with my dad from then on, but I was already a teenager and when I turned eighteen a couple of years later, I had earned enough money with odd jobs at the local carnival to get an apartment and start college all on my own.«

»What happened to your dad?«

»He died a few years ago. Drank himself to death, apparently. I don't really know. I didn't want anything to do with that whole shebang.« He knew, of course, what happened to Ivy’s father and as for her mother … Well, he could make an educated guess after Ivy had lived on the streets for quite some time. »You know … I was there when the thing with your dad happened.« He started quietly. »Not there in the moment, of course. But I worked on the case. Evidence was planted on him to make him the scapegoat for the Wayne murders. I am very sorry about that.«

Again the girl looked at him for a moment as if she was able to see something that no one else could see. »I’m not. My father was not a nice man.« She then said. »He was a drunken asshole just as your’s. It's not a big loss for the world, I guess.« Though she said it, she sounded unsure and Ed could relate to that as well.

»And your mother?«

»She didn't care enough for me to stay alive.« Ivy replied then and this time she did sound a lot more resentful as she shrugged her thin shoulders. »After dad died, she just killed herself and left me alone.«

For a moment, there was silence between them in which both of them just trailed after their own thoughts for a little while. »You know, it's funny, isn't it?«

»Mh?«

»I mean our fathers.« Ed continued. »They were complete abusive assholes and yet when they died we grieved them, we were sad, we missed them although there should be no reason for that, right?«

Ivy was quiet for a moment and then smiled again at him. »I guess that's true. But maybe we were not sad because we lost them per se. We were sad because we lost a possible future, right? We thought that, perhaps, one day our dads might change for the better and that we could still have a real relationship with them then. I think that this is often the reason why people are saddened by certain events in their lives. It's the death of possibility.«

»That is actually very wise.« Edward replied with a smile. It was the truth. For such a young girl, Ivy had quite a lot to say and rightfully so. She had gone through a lot after Bullock shot her father.

»For someone as stupid as me, yes.«

»You are not stupid, Ivy.« It was the natural reaction to say this and he stood by that too. »Don't listen to the other children, Ives. You are clever and sweet and you know a lot of things that they can not even dream of.« With a small wave of his hand, he pointed all-encompassingly on the plants all around them. »This place was a mess before you came along, you know that, right? And look at it now, it's alive again. So, don't even dare to listen to what those kids tell you. Not even half of them could do what you can do.«

The blush that was creeping into Ivy’s cheeks was unmistakable and Edward loved to see such an expression on the face of the little girl as she quickly escaped his gaze to turn her eyes back on the plants before her.

※※※※※※※

It was the Saturday that week that Edward found Ivy kneeling in the dirt in one of the dirt patches on the south side of the house in the back garden. She was already done planting the first rose bush and Gabe had kept his promise to bring her more. Soon, the garden of the mansion would be a paradise of color when Oswald would continue to give Ivy free reign over the garden.

He was carrying a small package underneath his arm, covered in expensive looking silk paper with a small green ribbon. Oswald was of the mindset that Ivy was not deserving of any presents at the moment after the mess that happened just a few days ago at school but, clearly, Oswald was the much sterner parent. As Ivy noticed him walking out of the house and towards her, her face lit up in a wide smile. »Eddie! You came!«

»I said I would, didn't I?«

»You did.« She seemed flustered again. »But Selina said that you would probably be too busy planning and scheming, as all villains are and Papa Pengu is not even here … So I figured…«

»You figured I wouldn't come.«

She nodded and the look she shot him out of bright green eyes reminded him a little too much for comfort of the feeling he had had during his childhood whenever he had been at an event in school and expected to see his proud parents in the crowd of other proud parents only to then face the harsh truth that his parents couldn't care less.

»Well, I said I would come and help you and here I am. I am a man keen on keeping my word, Ivy.« Of course, it was maybe a little odd that he came to the mansion to spend time with Ivy although Oswald, his boyfriend, was not even here. Gabe and Olga who were both at the house surely thought that it was odd. It had been quite clear how Gabe felt about it just by the look he gave Ed as he had opened the front door for him. As he reached Ivy, he lifted up the package in his hand a bit. »I brought you something.«

»Oh?« Her eyes grew huge at his words. »What is it?« She quickly brushed the dirt from her hands as she wiped them on her pants. Well, at least this time she was not wearing her oh so despised school uniform.

»Shall I open it for you?« He pointed at her hands to underline what he meant with that and Ivy quickly nodded in agreement as she looked at her dirty hands. No matter how she treated her clothes and especially her school uniform, a gift, as Edward had already noticed, she always treated with great care.

Edward was quick as he carefully unwrapped the gift and finally held it out to her. The way Ivy's eyes lit up was worth the odd looks he had gotten himself as he had walked from one clothing store to the next. »I noticed that you don't like your uniform much. I hoped this would maybe make it a little more bearable.«

The grass green cashmere cardigan was nothing too special. It was soft and had a small cute bee stitched on each side of the collar. Maybe it would not go perfectly smooth with the blues of the uniform, but at least this way Ivy had something of her own while wearing what everyone else around her in this school would be wearing. Ivy was, much like Selina, Edward himself, and Oswald, an individualist because she had always been on her own and had never needed to conform to anything other people around her deemed appropriate. It was hard for her to try and fit into a group that so obviously did not want her to be a part of their clique. He could relate to that. Hell, even while working at the GCPD it had been like highschool all over again.

»Is this really for me?« Ivy quietly addressed him and her voice was a little thinner than before.

»Sure.« He smiled. »It's nothing special. I'm sure Oswald gave you much more expensive things.« And yet, although this might be true, Edward found himself with an arm full of Ivy Pepper in the next second and his face drowning in a mane of bright soft red hair.

»Thank you, Eddie.« She managed to produce near to his ear and he could hear that he was close to tears already. The last thing he wanted was a crying twelve-year-old on Gabe’s watch so he gently patted her back as he hummed a small »You’re welcome« in return.

The moment they parted, Ed folded the cardigan carefully and placed it on top of the paper in the grass by his feet. Only then did he lose his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. She was still beaming at him as he crouched down next to her in the grass and grabbed one of the smaller garden shovels.  »I heard you got in trouble this week?«

Ivy just huffed at those words and rolled her eyes. »It wasn't even my fault!« She exclaimed then and dug a little harder than actually needed into the already loose ground.

»Tell me.« Ed offered and as Ivy looked at him again in concern, he smiled. »I know that talking to Oswald is not always easy when he is in one of his moods.«

She actually snickered at this. »So, we have this garden at the school where the students are supposed to plant new plants and then tend to them, right? I was there with one girl in my class and she wanted to eat a tomato that was not ripe. I told her that she shouldn't do so because they are poisonous when not ripe. She wouldn't listen to me because no one ever listens to Ivy. Of course, she got sick and she blamed me and now everyone in school calls me Poison Ivy.«

If he hadn't felt sympathy for the little girl before, he would do now as he helped her plant the first of the rose bushes firmly into the hole they had dug for it. »As I said before, most people are stupid.« Ed smiled as they shoveled the dirt back on the whole after the rose sat snuggly in it. »You have no idea how many times I warned people not to do something and they did it anyway. No one listens to Ed either.«

They shared a small grin before patting down the dirty carefully and moving on to the next hole. »Still« Ed then turned back towards her after a moment. »I think Poison Ivy is a good name for you.«

»I don't like it.« She frowned.

»Of course not. No one likes the name other people give them in mockery. Look at Oswald, for example. It was Fish Mooney who called him Penguin and he hated it even before his injury. But somewhere along the lines, he decided to own it, to wear it like a shield and an armor around him. That is exactly what you should do too. Don't be insulted when people tease you with it, Ivy. Own it and, if necessary, make them fear you. Make them believe that you did, in fact, poison that girl. Sometimes bullies only stop bullying you if they are afraid of you.«

Maybe it was not the proper advice and nor proper parenting either. But for one, he was not Ivy’s parent and secondly, he remembered how one Oswald Cobblepot told a young boy in school that he could always push other children down the stairs as long as no one would be looking when they denied his friendship.

 

**-End of Chapter 10-**

  



	11. Stray Cat

Oswald had once claimed that he had a history with fancy and very important dinner invitations and how everything always seemed to turn to shit whenever he would actually follow those invitations. In Oswald’s mind, there was always some wanna-be supervillain who ruined the fun for him in some way or another, like Jervis Tetch or, more recently, Professor Pyg even. So, Oswald had been understandably reluctant and even a bit nervous on this particular evening when he had left his mansion together with Edward to attend the annual dinner of the founding families of Gotham to which his father’s family belonged. Last time he had attended this very dinner, it had been hijacked by Jervis Tetch, a man who had since become known to Gotham as the _Mad Hatter_. It had taken Edward a lot to actually convince him to go and, in the end, Oswald had demanded him to join so that, just in case something would happen again, he would not be alone to deal with the drama.

Oswald’s superstition seemed to hold true, in the end. They never made it to the actual dinner part of the evening. Just as they had been about to sit down at the ridiculously long table with all those fancy people that represented Gotham’s elite, minus Bruce Wayne, one of the servants had walked up to Oswald and told him that there was a call for him. Until then, they had spent their time making idle talk with the other guest and drinking champagne.

Oswald was not only in his role as the heir to one of the oldest families of Gotham here but in his role as the mayor too, a job he seemed to have grown very fond of by now. Even without Edward as his chief of staff. There had been a time when Ed had been certain that only his presence at the office was keeping Oswald from losing his mind and stabbing a secretary to death with his letter opener. And once again, dinner was disrupted for Oswald but this time not by some wanna-be supervillain - although, as Ed had to admit, this part was debatable.

»I can't believe it!« Oswald was foaming as the car was slowly making its way out of town over serpentine streets and up a small hill. They had left the hustle and bustle of the city with its winding streets and the blinking lights a few minutes ago and by now houses had become a lot more sparse whereas vegetation had grown noticeably thicker. In the distance, they could make out Wayne Manor towering above the acres of land belonging to the family already. »I told her she could stay the night at the Wayne’s if she would _not_ do anything stupid for once! Is it really so hard to stay out of trouble for just one night?«

»Well-«

»No, don't answer that!« He had to bite back a chuckle at that.

If anyone it was Oswald who was the king of getting into trouble at just some random night of the week. And not always by his own fault too! But it was true, Oswald had allowed the girl to stay with her friend, Bruce, if she promised to behave and not leave Wayne Manor to explore the city with the young billionaire because that always led to trouble for those kids. Meanwhile, Martin and Ivy were safe and sound at home with Zsasz and Gabe for the night, undoubtedly eating too many sweets and watching crappy television.

It had been Jim Gordon who had called Oswald at the founders dinner earlier after he had found out where he could find the mayor of Gotham - despite the fact that the dinner was all over the news today and the press had been lurking like hawks in front of the building where the dinner was hosted every year in central Gotham. He was at the manor too as they finally arrived, together with Bullock.

It seemed almost a little ridiculous how both cops were positioned inside the large kitchen of the manor, in front of them the two delinquents on two wooden chairs at the wooden table. The question if the two policemen, one of them the current captain of the GCPD, had nothing better to do on a Friday night, was burning in the back of his throat. Alfred had opened the door for both him and Oswald right after the first ringing of the doorbell as if he had either teleported to the door or waited right behind it to quickly lead them inside the house and out of the autumn cold. Halloween was right around the corner now.

Oswald was still fuming as they reached the teenagers who did their best to look unhappy. Well, at least Bruce did his best to look unhappy and perhaps even a little guilty. Selina, however, sat leaned back in her chair with crossed arms and a defiant curve to her lips as usual. Her gaze was as unwavering as steal, as always. In fact, if anything, she seemed even more defiant as her eyes fell upon Edward who entered the kitchen right after Oswald. Even months into his relationship with Oswald, Selina was still not a fan of his.

»So!« Oswald suddenly chimed up with a bit too much fake cheer as he clutched his cane with both hands in front of his body and leaned his weight on it heavily. These days he was in a lot more pain than usual as the weather started to grow colder again with each day.

Of course, the mayor and kingpin would never let it show, though and only those who really knew him could see the tell-tale signs. The gritting of teeth that was a bit more than usual, his smiles a lot toothier and shark-like, the shifting of the weight onto his left leg which also started to suffer from this a long time ago, the way he was more reliant on his cane and tried to play it off nonchalantly as he did now too as if it was a mere fashion accessory. Edward, however, knew that his leg was killing him. He saw the way the painkillers in Oswald’s bathroom cabinet started to disappear more frequently now.

»Tell me, Selina, did you have a good time tonight?«

»Actually-«

»Because I didn't, Missie!« This was the moment, the word, that cemented Oswald as a dad. There was no going back anymore. »I was looking forward to a nice dinner at the founder’s gala for once and yet again _someone_ had to get their ass in trouble right?«

»Oh, come on!« Selina suddenly groaned and rolled her eyes. »Don't pretend like you really cared for that dinner, Oz! We all know that you only cared about the publicity it would give you when you would show your ugly mug there.«

»That is not the point, Selina!« He growled as he stepped closer towards the table if only to brace himself on the table top with both hands now, his cane quickly discarded into Ed’s hands. He did his best to keep a straight face at the display and it was very apparent that the cops inside the kitchen did the same thing. »Jim called me and told me what you did tonight! You guys really had nothing better to do on a Friday night than stealing money from a drug dealer? Are you out of your goddamn mind? You can't keep doing stuff like this!«

» _Oh!_ « She actually jumped up from her chair at this. »Oh, suddenly I can't do what I do because you are the mayor, right? But you can still lead the underworld and your boyfriend can still rob banks!«

» _Allegedly_.« Ed was quick to throw in even though that only earned him a dark glare from the girl while Oswald paid him no attention at all.

»And that was our cue!« Bullock chimed up. »I think our job here is done. We should leave before we hear something that would put us in the position of actually having to make arrests tonight. We are already working overtime.« Harvey said clearing his throat almost a little nervously. And with that, Harvey was already heading to the door. Only Jim was not so quick to rush out of the kitchen and had actually the audacity to tell Oswald: »Don't be too hard on her, she’s a good kid« before he left after his partner.

Oswald just scoffed at Jim’s words and waited for just a moment longer before he took a deep breath and straightened his posture. »You can deem yourself lucky that Jim Gordon was there to help you guys otherwise you would have gotten into serious trouble tonight. Well, I think it's time to go home now, Selina.«

In other words, Oswald was hungry. _Hangry_ , as Ivy would say it. It was not long after that that they were driving through the night once more under a sky full of stars. Alfred had been very forthcoming but clearly quite reserved towards both the mayor and his bank-robbing boyfriend. Well, alleged bank-robbing boyfriend. Until now no one had been able to actually prove anything. Not that the GCPD wouldn't have tried, especially Jim and Harvey who were certainly not his biggest fans. Being the man who kept the mayor happy helped, though.

However, the mayor was clearly not happy as they reached the old Van Dahl mansion and thus went straight to the kitchen with Selina and Ed in tow. Clearly, what he had to discuss with Selina was not yet over. And he was not the only one foaming in anger either.

»You know what? I am really growing tired of you treating me like a little child all the time, Oz!« Selina growled the moment they stepped through the back door of the house that led straight into the kitchen. It was still early in the night and Ed could hear the TV running in the living room accompanied by Gabe’s roaring laughter. It was just a matter of moments until they would realize that Oswald, Ed, and Selina had returned. Victor Zsasz had probably heard them already as the driver had driven the car around the mansion to get it straight back into the garage and let them out in the back of the house.

»Then maybe you should stop behaving like a child!« Oswald replied a little louder than necessary.

»Oh, now _I_ behave like a kid?« Selina immediately fired back. »I am not the one who always throws a temper tantrum when something does not go my way!«

Edward could only watch on as the two argued while Oswald was searching one of the cupboards over the stove and finally picked out a jar of peanut butter. He had expected nothing else from him. Oswald was very much a stress eater, although he was a man who ate much less than he actually should. In Oswald’s mind, there never was time to eat. There was nothing he could possibly say in the situation at hand. This was not his call to make, after all. It was very much a family dispute and he was not quite a part of this family yet - especially not when it came to Selina. He had to very carefully navigate this situation if he wanted her to accept him in any way now.

»I am not throwing temper tantrums!« Oswald replied a little more infuriated than truly necessary - which, in fact, only proved Selina’s point - as he still wrestled with the lid of the jar. »Goddamnit, what is it with this jar? Why doesn't it open?« For a few moments, they had both just watched how Oswald had tried to open the jar and before Edward could step in, it was Selina who came to his rescue and, with an annoyed little groan and no effort at all, opened the jar.

»Okay, you know what?« Ed chimed in with a smile and raised his hands in mock surrender. »Oz, go and join the others in the living room. All this shouting and arguing does not help in any way. Selina and I will prepare sandwiches for everyone so that you guys can cool off a little and not kill each other in the next five minutes. There are far too many sharp objects around you two right now and you don't want to do anything you might regret in the morning.«  

He was met with dumbfounded expressions from both of them but that did not deter him from his mission. Before he could say anything else, however, there was the sound of steps just outside of the kitchen in the dimly lit hallway. It was certainly not Zsasz for the hitman moved as silent as a cat. It couldn't be Gabe either as Gabe’s steps were usually much heavier, which only left Martin and Ivy. However, Martin had a much more distinctive way of moving around this large house. Just a second later, a certain red-head peeked her head through the doorway.

»You are home!« Ivy quipped the moment she took in the scene in the brightly lit kitchen. »Why are you home?«

»Ask your sister!« Oswald snapped but it was then that Edward gently nudged him in the back and towards the door.

»You guys: Living room.« He repeated his previous order with a little more insistence this time. »Selina and I are making sandwiches and then join you.« Those words were now directed at Ivy and at least the little girl quickly understood that now was not the time to ask unnecessary questions. Ivy was, in fact, much better at reading people than any of them.

After just a little bit of fuss, Oswald and Ivy left the kitchen to go to the living room while Oswald was already telling the little girl all about what had led to his and Edward’s premature return from the founders gala.  

The silence between him and Selina as they started to make sandwiches in the middle of the night was awkward, to say the least. However, at least she was still here and had not just run off again like she was so prone to do. In fact, her running off had become less and less frequent over the course of the past few months as it seemed. She was starting to get her hot head under control better and better these days and even accepted this place as her home.

»So, stealing from a drug dealer, huh?« He would admit that it was not the most delicate way of starting a conversation with a girl that did not like him to begin with but even though Selina shot him a glare that was only amplified by the knife in her hand, Ed felt as if he could continue from there. »Do you mind telling me why you would want to steal from a drug dealer in the first place?«

»Do you mind telling me why you are robbing banks?«

»A man has to find a job he enjoys.« Edward huffed. »The Riddle Factory is dying. I can't claim that I care too much. I never expected this kind of thing to last very long. People are bored too quickly these days - even at the sight of blood and gore. But I cannot join Oswald in his endeavors as his chief of staff again - nor would I want to. I enjoy being his right-hand man when it comes to his underworld business, but I am not a sidekick. I want my own thing.«

»And that's bank robbery.« Selina stated very dryly which only underlined her usual sarcastic tone. Well, she was a teen.

»Apparently, I have a talent for it.«

»And what if you get caught? How would that look on Oswald? You would ruin his career _again_.« There was truth to her words, of course. These days when he would find himself in bed with Oswald and with Oswald’s head resting comfortably on his chest, it was hard to believe that only months ago he had wanted him dead. What a fool he had been. He could not take back the things he had done but he could move on from here and try to make up for his mistakes instead.

»I can just try not to get caught I guess?« He smirked as he glanced at the young girl but Selina only rolled her eyes. »You don't like me, I get it, Selina.« Edward was quick to continue. »You want to protect him because let's be honest, his heart is his greatest weakness and he is too easy to fool in matters of the heart. But I do care about him. I do love him. But only because we are a couple and only because I intend to further this relationship, that does not mean I can no longer be my own person. It's important to stay true to yourself, to keep being an individual in a relationship. It's true that Oswald and my agendas might not always align but that's only natural and we are going to work out the kinks sooner or later. I am my own man and I am a force to be reckoned with in Gotham’s underworld. But I am doing my best not to let this hurt Oswald's career in the limelight.« Only then he focused on his work again. There was a hungry mayor waiting, after all. »However, it's not only what I am doing in the shadows that might hurt his career, Selina. You are smart enough to know that. If someone with an agenda against Oswald had caught you and Bruce tonight, you could have seriously hurt his reputation. Gotham loves him and your family. The tableaus adore you guys. Always try and keep that in mind.«

He could almost hear the outburst like the sizzling of electricity in a hot summer’s night right before a thunderstorm. Sill, it never came, although he was certain that Selina wanted to say something to him along the lines of ‘I am not a child’. Instead, she began stacking the finished sandwiches on a plate.

»I am just tired of being treated like a child, you know?« Selina finally sighed. »I know Oz doesn't mean to but he still does it. It's like you said, I am my own person. He knew who I was from the start. I am Cat, I am a thief. And I do not intend on giving that up.«

»Then don't, but be more careful next time around. And try not to drag Bruce Wayne into it.«

»Actually, it was his idea.« He believed her even. There was no reason why she should lie about something like this, after all. And Bruce Wayne … Well, that boy had issues all of his own.

»And why would Bruce Wayne want to steal money from a drug dealer?« He still found himself asking with a small crooked grin.

Selina sighed. »He wanted to give it away like he always does when he steals something. It's annoying.«

»Like a modern day Robin Hood?«

»That's what he thinks at least.« They shared a small smile at this before Selina quickly schooled her face into an uncaring mask again. Well, it was a start. Snotty behavior had to be expected from a teenager and especially from a teenager like Selina Kyle. They might not always see eye to eye but at least they were united in their wish to protect Oswald, even though they both were aware that he did not really need protection. He could sympathize with the girl. Maybe not like he could sympathize with Ivy, but he still could understand her in a way. This family of outcasts that Oswald had gathered around him was truly something special. They were all damaged in their own way and still they stuck together. As they finally brought the sandwiches over into the living room, he felt as if he had grown just a bit closer to the young girl and became maybe just a little more part of this family.

It was a little while later, after Ivy and Martin had fallen asleep in front of the movie they had been watching, that Selina turned to him again. »I still think that you are an asshat … But you make good sandwiches.«

 

**-End of Chapter 11-**


	12. The Sunday Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I might add to this story in the future. But for now, it's done! I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Working on Sundays was bad luck. That was what his mother had always told him.

»I'm just saying I don't think that this is the best idea you ever had.« Oswald knew that his words would fall on deaf ears and that his lover was above all of his worries and calls for being more cautious. His own ego was bigger than a skyscraper at times. And for once it was not just his own name and reputation that Oswald was worried about in this whole affair. It was literally Ed’s life he was worried about this time around.

However, Ed Nygma would not be Ed Nygma would he listen to reason. »I disagree. Now is the best time to go through with this plan. The city is in turmoil after Jerome’s latest stunt and everyone is in panic of Jeremiah Valeska now too. If I don't act now, it would be the biggest mistake in the history of big mistakes.«

»Are you serious?« Oswald groaned but all his arguing and pacing around through his office in the early hours of this particularly grey and unfriendly day, would not help him in any way to get his lover to see reason for once in his life. »This lunatic has planted bombs all over this city and no one knows exactly where and you want to go and rob the central bank of Gotham which is only one of the most likely places where he might have put one of those bombs!«

»According to my calculations-«

»Your calculations _suck_ , Edward!«

He knew that it had been a mistake to say these words and yet they had escaped him all the same. Perhaps, he would regret those words for the rest of his life, he wondered while around him the city was shaken awake by explosions. He had escaped city hall by a hair as Jeremiah had arrived with his goons and had started shooting up the place just as noon had rolled around.

Outside, it was pandemonium. People were running in panic and tried to find shelter at home or in churches, some were even trying to leave the city already. By now only the clock tower had been erased from the landscape. At least he did not need to worry about the kids. Martin and Ivy were with Zsasz and Selina with Bruce. Zsasz had the clear order to care for the safety of those two, while Oswald was sure that Selina could take care of herself. Well, at least as long Bruce Wayne would for once stay out of trouble and not give into Jeremiah Valeska’s demands in any way.

»Boss, we really should get going!« Gabe urged once more. He was clearly nervous by all the mayhem and destruction around them. Poor guy. As if he shouldn't be used to this kind of stuff happening in Gotham by now. Then again, it had never been this bad. It was the first time in his thirty-three years of life that Oswald was fearful for his beloved city. »Let's leave before we get caught up in all this mess. The mansion seems to be a safe place to hold out until the guys of the GCPD have gotten their hands on this lunatic.«

He was right, of course. All in all, Oswald was the mayor of this town and as such he was surely a target for Jeremiah's attacks sooner or later. Yet, this was _his_ city. Gotham was his beloved home and he could not leave her behind just like this and hide somewhere save while she was getting destroyed by Jeremiah. He had always loved the clocktower. He had always loved the skyline. Now everything around him seemed to break apart.

More important than that, however, was something entirely different. »Gabe, you need to drive me to Gotham Central Bank.«

»Boss, I implore you-«

» _Now_ , Gabe!«

Gabe was certainly no one to question his boss as soon as said boss would start yelling at him. He might not be the smartest man in this city, but he knew exactly when not to piss off a man like Oswald, which was only one of the reasons why Oswald appreciated his loyalty so much. That and Gabe would cut his own hand off to protect his kids. A moment later they were driving down Main Street. The traffic was thick and hard to get through and for once all his ranting and raving would not get him to his destination any farther while street signs were sluggishly crawling past them and people were running down the sidewalks. Oswald knew this, of course, but that didn't keep him from grinding his teeth even more.

»What's so important at the bank anyway, Boss?« Gabe finally asked as he threw a glance at Oswald from his left-hand side. Gabe’s fingers were white around the steering wheel.

»Ed’s there.« Oswald groaned.

»Nygma? Is he working?«

»He is.«

»Didn't his mother tell him that working on Sundays in our line of work means bad luck?« Under different circumstances, Oswald would have snorted but now he could only grind his teeth harder, focus his eyes on the street ahead that was clogged with all kinds of cars and people who tried to get away as fast as possible, and will the traffic to dissolve faster. He didn't care much about where in the city those bombs were hidden. He could not ask anyone for help either. The only thing that he knew for certain was that Edward was in danger. No one would ever not put one of those bombs in the central bank of Gotham. And Jeremiah Valeska was not only a lot smarter than his dead twin brother but also had had a lot of influence in this town. The doors to all kind of high profile buildings had been open to him. Placing a bomb in Gotham’s central bank would have been a piece of cake.

»Apparently not.«

»Boss, I understand that you are worried, but … Maybe we should get going anyway. Nygma is a smart guy, he’ll be able to get out of that situation if he is indeed in any danger.« Ed was a smart man, there was no question about that but sadly, Ed had the tendency to be incredibly stupid too at times. Especially whenever he was sabotaged by his own massive ego.

»I can't…« He began quietly as he started nibbling on his left thumb without even realizing it. It was one of Ed’s bad habits, not his. »I can't risk … If something happens to him, I…« He couldn't even quite articulate what he wanted to say or what he was going through. Maybe he shouldn't either. He still had a reputation to uphold, a name that spoke to the world.

He was Oswald Cobblepot, he was the Penguin and he could not show any kind of weakness. He could not allow people to see how weak he truly was in the face of impending danger for his loved ones. Gabe, however, knew him long enough to read him in this regard and he did so without prejudice. Gabe had been one of the very few people in Maroni’s clan who had never cared about whether Oswald was gay or not. To him, it was never important. And he had been there when his mother had died too, had understood the pain he was going through even.

»We’re almost there, Boss.«

At the beginning of his relationship with Edward, Gabe had often remarked how Oswald could do better but now at this moment, he didn't say anything in that regard. He only stomped on the gas as soon as the path was cleared and honked the horn of the Bentley like a maniac. He did not hold back on his opinion because he felt differently about Edward these days and Oswald knew this. He held back on his opinion because it was the last thing Oswald needed now. He was aware that most people he surrounded himself with were not fond of Ed, including Jim, whom he called a friend these days - or an ally at the very least whenever their interest were aligned.

»You'll see, a man like Nygma always comes out on top.«

»My mother used to say: Death doesn't discriminate. It takes and it takes and it takes.« So who was to say that today wasn't the day when death would take Edward away from him too? How would he move on from that? He would, of course, because that was just what he did. He was Oswald Cobblepot, he moved on, he prevailed, he grew from loss and hardships.

The question would only be how he would come out on the other side. What would become of him if he would lose the man he loved? His love for Edward was very different from the love he had once felt for James Gordon. Jim and he … that had been an idea, perhaps. A fantasy. The cop and the gangster. A relationship that would have had its thrills but that would never work out.

Ed and he, however, that was different. They were one and the same. On the other side of this, he would come out a monster. For just this instant, he thought back to the day his mother had died and how utterly helpless he had felt as he had held her in his arms, unable to do anything about it. He would not allow himself to ever feel this helpless again.

Yet, as Gabe turned the next corner and maneuvered the car into the street where the bank was located, the building was gone. And as this realization struck him, his heart stopped beating for just a moment.

※※※※※※※

Oswald had been right. He hated to admit that. He hated even to think that. But still, it was true. Oswald had been right. Working on Sundays was a bad idea. Of course, the rational mind was quick to argue that the fact that it was indeed Sunday had nothing to do with the fact that Jeremiah Valeska had decided to blow up half of Gotham. It could just as well be any other day. Monday, preferably. But it wasn't and that would be enough for Oswald to claim that he had been right all along. After all, there was nothing new about the fact that Oswald Cobblepot was indeed a highly superstitious young man. He believed in all kinds of stuff, including ghosts and that black cats were inherently evil - which explained probably why Selina’s black cat was his favorite one of the bunch though he would still wrinkle his nose at the fluffy housemate.

Looking back on the day and how it had started, there had been many warning signs telling him to go back and leave his plans unfulfilled knowing that he would never get the chance to fulfill them in the future. The fight he had had with Oswald at city hall in the early morning hours being only one of those signs. Though it was not at all rare that they would indeed fight, this time it had been different in a way that he wasn't even quite able to fully understand yet. It just was. Had he not went to the bank, he knew that he would have never gotten the chance to land the biggest coup in his career until now and that was simply something he could not accept. He would never forgive himself to let this chance slip through his fingers. Maybe it was his ego, yes. He would admit that there was a possibility that his ego had driven him to this kind of behavior.  

In his mind, if he would be able to just be quick enough, he would be able to go in and out without any trouble before Jeremiah Valeska could even think about blowing up the place. Of course, right after he had entered the building, he had seen the bomb. It wasn't as if the bomb would have been clear as such at first glance, yet Edward was in the business long enough to know a bomb when he saw one. And that glowing thingy in the center of the abandoned central bank on that Sunday - Yes, that thing had screamed bomb at him.

Jeremiah seemed not to care about killing as many people as possible very much unlike his crazed brother. The bank was closed on Sundays, so the only casualties would be the security guards, if present at the time of the explosion. Well … And Edward, would he not be quick enough in his endeavor.

One might argue, the odds had been stacked against him from the start. Then again, that was exactly what most people told him anyway all the time. Even in Arkham as he had clearly succeeded in finding the secret laboratory underneath the insane asylum everyone had still treated him like a raging lunatic. The only person who had never treated him this way was Oswald. Oswald, for some reason, had always believed in him. Even as he had had no good reason to do so. Even during the time when Ed had wanted to see him dead because he had been unable to come to terms with the true nature of his feelings towards the other man, Oswald had never wavered in his belief in him.

Maybe he should have listened to him, Ed wondered as he placed another stack of dollar notes into the canvas bag. He would love to go for the gold bars but for that, he was not strong enough. Those things were heavy and he was alone and in case that he needed to be quick he could not possibly weigh himself down with bars of gold just because they were shiny and nice.

Ivy had once asked him why he was even robbing banks when he was with Oswald. After all, Oswald was filthy rich by this point. It wasn't even so much the money that interested him if he was honest. even as he had lived in that one room apartment inside the factory in the Narrows, he hadn't really cared that much about the money. Sure, money had meant safety for him, shelter and food and a certain sense of power even, but it had never meant much to him despite that. Oswald had more than enough money for them both to sustain them for the rest of their lives even if they would both end their careers today. He didn't need all that money that he was stealing. No. The money was not really the point anyway. It was the thrill of it all. It was solving the puzzle of how to go in and out without being seen and without being caught. He had worked weeks on that plan and that was exactly why he had to go through with it too. Today was the only chance he would get and not just because of Jeremiah.

Today was the one unique day that his plan could work. The next time would be in six months. The vault was full as the money transporters would only come in tomorrow morning at exactly six o’clock. The security guards were sparse on Sundays. Only three. One of them would be on patrol through the bank, meaning the ground floor offices and the public area. Two others would usually sit inside the control room. There was a time window of only a few short minutes - two minutes, to be more precise - when all three guards would be together in the security room and not be looking at the monitors. That was the moment Ed had to utilize to make sure that he would be obscured from the cameras and the only time when he would have been able to sneak into the vault.

Everything had worked perfectly. every detail had been perfectly timed. From that moment on, he had twenty minutes to steal all the money he could and sneak out of the vault before the security guard would walk past the vault doors on his patrol downstairs and that was precisely when he would need to sneak up the stairs, wait exactly ten seconds and then sneak past the cameras again.

That was the plan, at least.

However, the moment he arrived at the lobby just as planned, with the canvas bag over his shoulder, the bomb in the middle of the lobby was changing colors from a neutral white to a very unfriendly looking bright red. »Oh, that's not good.«

※※※※※※※

Where the central bank of Gotham had stood only hours ago, was now only a big crater filled with rubble left. The explosion had to have happened only minutes ago, perhaps not even half an hour as Oswald had either just escaped City Hall or had already been fighting his way through traffic with Gabe.

There was still smoke and dust lingering in the air, making it almost impossible to breathe properly as Oswald scrambled over the rubble and the mess scattered all across the street. Adjacent buildings had been hit by the blast of the explosion and the flying rubble too. Windows were burst and the first looters already out to get their hands on whatever they could carry around with them, while survivors and injured bystanders were waiting for help to arrive. Sirens in the distance promised of the nearing fire squads and ambulances and yet it was impossible to say if they would even reach the block.

Gotham was in a state of utter chaos and this would not be the last explosion for today. Most units were at the clocktower anyway and the central bank was nearly empty on Sundays, except for the few security guards always present - and Ed. This side of destruction would not be anyone's first priority in the midst of all this destruction and chaos.

As he staggered forward he felt incredibly helpless. The thought that Edward was in the midst of all this debris, dead or injured, rendered him completely useless.

Gabe had followed him out of the car and towards the crater even though he was urging him to be careful while all Oswald wanted to do was run towards the former building and scream out Ed’s name like a maniac. That was, of course, not in the realm of possibilities, however. He was the mayor of this city, the head of the criminal underworld. He could not scream the name of his lover in panic for said lover’s life.

»Boss, it's no use.« Gabe urged. »We better get going! If Nygma is here, he is probably already dead. We need to get out of Gotham.«

From a logical standpoint, Oswald knew that Gabe was right, that they needed to get away now before the situation could escalate even further and the way back home would be blocked for them. That did not stop him from stumbling forward, however. Only as he was faced with a mountain of debris and couldn't go further without starting to climb, he stopped and had time to have the reality of the situation sink in.

If Ed had been in there as the building exploded, he was dead. That was it. He knew Ed’s plan after the other man had recited it to him over and over again. He knew that Ed had been inside as the building exploded. He was dead. Not even someone like Ed Nygma could escape the blast of an explosion or being hit by debris. The chances that Ed might have survived this, were very slim. Still, he felt as if, had Edward died, he had to have felt it in any way.

Ed could not just have died and he wouldn't have felt it, right? He could not have just left this earth just like this, right? It would have to have been earth-shattering and not feel so hollow and silent and hopeless. He had the reputation of being short-tempered and hot-headed at times, to be overly dramatic and emotional even, which made him almost always unpredictable to his enemies. Now, however, Oswald did not feel like screaming or shouting or even bawling his eyes out.

He just felt empty staring at the expanse of rubble in front of him. A part of him wanted to lie down and stare at the sky and never move again. He wanted to lie there and wait for the inevitable.

Instead, as he felt Gabe's large hand carefully clasping his left shoulder, he nodded. He didn't lash out. He didn't shout or insult his henchman. He just nodded and slowly turned away from the rubble. There was nothing he could do anyway. In a while, the firetrucks and the police would arrive and the recovery process would begin. They would find Ed's body crushed by the debris and then … Then what? Would he then be allowed to grief?

Would he be allowed to move on? Move on to where though?

Of course, his life would not be over even if Ed died in that explosion. It sure felt like it, as it had when his mother had died too, but Oswald had always been a man who was able to move on from tragedy and come out of it stronger. Sometimes he wished he could break down and break apart like everyone else, though. Breaking down in his line of business would mean certain death, no matter how loyal his henchmen were.

Showing weakness was like exposing his throat to a bunch of bloodthirsty starved and aggressive wolves. What he needed to do now was keep himself together, his head held high and his back straight.

»If he wasn't in there, he will probably find his way to the mansion, Boss.« It was one of Gabe’s more sorry attempts of trying to cheer him up at least a little and the huge Italian knew this too. Still, he couldn't deny that he appreciated it at least a little. Nobody was forcing Gabe to cheer him up, after all. No one was forcing him even to stay loyal and not stab him in the neck now. Gabe had proven his loyalty over and over again in Oswald's weakest of times. He appreciated that he was still here now even though he would never even admit it.

»I told him not to do it.« Oswald replied and his voice was a lot sharper than it needed to be as he spoke up and then quickly cleared his throat. The straightening of his suit with his gloved hands was more a nervous tick by this point. »I told him not to go rob that bank when Jeremiah Valeska was out there and threatening to blow up the city. I told him it was unnecessary and dumb. However, Edward Nygma proved once again that his ego is much bigger than his IQ in times of crisis.  It was more important to him to risk his life and freedom by proving to everyone that he would be able to rob this bank and that he does not rely on me or my money. His obsession with not being a sidekick was more important than his life and freedom. He wanted to show the world that he is his own man and that he is good at what he’s doing. Well, he did. Bravo. And if he died doing it, well … There is nothing that could be done about it now anyway, is there? Right. We better get going now-«

»Boss-«

»Before they close off the inner city and we won't be able to get out in time. Just because Edward Nygma is an idiot - and now a dead one at that - does not mean I have to follow him in his idiocy.«

»Boss.«

»What is it Gabe? Weren't you the one urging me to go back before? Now what?«

Gabe stared at him dumbfounded for a long moment as Oswald turned around to face his henchman again, then, however, he pointed over his left shoulder to where the rubble was. He didn't want to look at it again. He couldn't stand looking at it. He couldn't stand looking at the rubble and imagining the man he loved beneath all this chaos and destruction - not even a second longer now.

However, then, as he turned around, he finally saw what Gabe meant as he had pointed over his shoulder towards that field of debris. There was movement there. Something - _someone_ \- scrambling and clawing their way out of the mess. A flash of green. Would the situation be any different, he would be in awe of the dumb luck some people seemed to have. However now, he hastily made his way towards the emerging figure. He didn't care even in the slightest what it looked like as he stumbled over the debris and through the dust or that his suit would be ruined after this. For once, after such a long time, he felt reminded of his stupider self back when he had firmly believed that Ed had been kidnapped and ran towards him in relief to have found him well and in one piece again.

It was true that he had been careful ever since that day. It was true that he might have been a little reserved even at times towards Edward even now months into their relationship. It was also true that he could hardly bring himself to profess his love to Edward as often as he wanted or could. It was caution and fear urging him not to be too weak again. Even months into this, he was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

At this moment, as he saw Edward Nygma emerge from the rubble and chaos, however, he threw all of this overboard.

»Ed!« He shouted and his voice was cracking and breaking around the edges of every single syllable. »Ed!« Somehow his vocabulary had been reduced to just Ed’s name as if it was the most important thing he could possibly ever say. At least this way, he got the other man’s attention.

He was covered from head to toe in dust and dirt. It was impossible to say if he was injured or not. He was limping and almost stumbling as he slowly made his way towards Oswald. There was something slung over his shoulder but it was impossible to tell what it really was until Ed was closer.

»Are you kidding me…« The words escaped him in a gasp as he paused amidst the rubble but as soon as the true meaning of what he was seeing sank in, the anger started coming back at once.

※※※※※※※

Had he thought Oswald would be glad to see that he was still alive? Yes. Had he expected Oswald to be happy that he even managed to get the money out? Yes. He had not expected the slap as he had finally reached him amidst all the debris and rubble. He had not expected to be shouted at either. Knowing Oswald, he should have expected being shouted at, though.

He didn't remember much after that slap.

The first time Edward opened his eyes again, he was staring at a familiar wooden cassette ceiling of true craftsmanship. These days no one would ever make a ceiling like this anymore with such love for detail. He blinked slowly as to not overburden his mind. It was important to first clear his mind before trying to make sense of anything.

He remembered walking into the lobby of the bank to see the bomb changing colors from white to red.  He remembered running back from where he had come. Running past the bomb and out of the front doors had not been an option. He didn't remember much afterward. Had he gone back to the vault for safety? Possibly. A part of him was very aware that it was sheer luck that he was still alive and furthermore that he had not lost a limb or two.

»Never do this again.«

As he turned his head just slightly to his right-hand side, he saw Oswald sitting next to his bed in one of the comfortable armchairs, a twin to the one right in front of the fireplace where Oswald and he often sat and talked for hours or played a game of chess. This room, Oswald's bedroom, had always meant a certain sense of calm and comfort. Seeing Oswald's pale face and his ocean blue eyes resting upon his face now only added to this sensation.

His head was hurting quite badly and he felt as if he had been hit by a steamroller. Repeatedly. »Would it help if I tell you that I did not plan on getting myself killed?«

Oswald scoffed but did not answer as he instead grabbed Ed’s right hand that had until now been lying flat on the mattress beside him. Oswald hooked their fingers together before lifting Ed’s hand to his lips and kissed his bruised knuckles. Only now did he realize that they were indeed bruised. How did that happen? Now that he came to a hold and rest, he could feel that his entire body was hurting all over. He was probably covered in bruises from head to toe. He didn't need to see it to know it.

»I didn't do it because I wanted to prove anything, Oswald.« Ed finally muttered quietly. »I mean yes … That too. I did it to prove to myself that I am my own man, that I am not just your right-hand man when it comes to this side of the business. That I am capable. Because how could I even think of spending the rest of my life with you, would I be less than this? I planned on landing this big coup and that I would come home to you with millions of dollars - which, in my defense, I did - and ask you to marry me. But how could I ever be a worthy husband to you if I would need to rely on you as your sidekick? I want more than this.«

A few years back he had been perfectly content with his job at the GCPD and he would have been for the rest of his life had things turned out differently with Kristen, perhaps. Now, however, he was no longer this man. No longer this sorry version of Edward Nygma the fool. He wanted to be Oswald's equal and that was all. However, that was not an easy thing with a man like Oswald Cobblepot who stole the limelight away from everyone else the moment he would step into a room.

For the longest moment, Oswald just stared at him dumbfounded by his words and the indirect proposal that had very intentionally escaped Edward's lips. It was not the big romantic gesture he had planned originally and of which he knew Oswald was a sucker for. No roses, no candlelight, no fancy dinner. It was just him, lying bruised in Oswald's bed with his hair full of dirt and dust, unable to move more than an inch at a time, pathetically telling the man he loved that he was planning to never leave his side again.

As always, it was impossible to read Oswald's face clearly. His poker face even now immaculate. It took a few long moments before Oswald finally cleared his throat to speak up again and during those moments, Ed’s eyes had never left Oswald’s in the silly hope to find something that would tell him whether or not he had gone too far now, risked too much, perhaps. No matter if he had just doomed their relationship, he wouldn't have been able to keep this words to himself any longer. From the moment he had come back to his senses underneath the rubble, he hadn't been able to think about much else than Oswald. His entire mind had been focused solely on freeing himself so that he could get back to Oswald and finally say to him what he had meant to say for so long now.

»There is only one thing, Ed.« Oswald finally spoke up after a few seconds of silence though it seemed hard for him to find the right words. »If you want this relationship to have a future … this marriage to work, we have to make a pact.«

»What pact?«

»The pact that on Sundays we don't work.«

 

**-End of Chapter 12-**


	13. No man's land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoot whoot! What is this?! An extra chapter?! Yes indeed! You can thank LarrysBandana for that!
> 
> So to get the timeline straight: Chapter 13 is the only chapter that takes place AFTER chapter 1 chronologically =D So we have a one year gap between Chap 12 and 13 and only a few months between Chap 1 and 13!

The situation was a mess. 85 days in, the territories had been carved up neatly and the food was running short on every side. When he would look at Martin and Ivy every morning, he wished he would have fled with his kids and Edward and just left the city behind so that the remaining people inside might rip each other apart. Of course, technically he was still the mayor - whatever this meant in this situation. There was, after all, nothing he could do about any of that. To no one’s surprise, Aubrey James, among all the other important or formerly important figures of Gotham’s upper class, had fled the city before the bombs went off.  

Only one year ago, Edward had almost been killed by one of Jeremiah Valeska’s bombs. He cursed the GCPD for not being able to detain this madman properly. Sure, they had captured him one year ago and yet he had been able to escape and plunge this city into chaos only 85 days ago, ripping every semblance of piece from the remaining Gothamites forever.

»We need to operate.« The doctor turned to Oswald. Concern was clearly written across the pale man’s face. He wished Lee would be here and take care of the girl that was resting on her side on the bed before him. He didn't keep his voice down so that the young girl wouldn't hear him while Oswald was clutching his umbrella even tighter than before. He didn't need it for balance after Edward had created that wonderful metal leg-brace for him. He had gone so far as to engrave an elegantly stylized penguin into the part of the brace that held his favorite knife.

In a situation like this, with the whole city being at war, Oswald needed to be able to move around without a cane or an umbrella. Not that it would matter much to him at the moment. He only carried the umbrella around out of habit and because outside the heavens were weeping for his beautiful little girl. Even before everything that had happened, Gotham had only rarely seen the sun but the city seemed even bleaker these days. The former skyline of Gotham was destroyed, the bridges torn apart and fires were raging all over the city still. In some districts, there was a constant cloud of thick black smoke hanging in the air. People were starving or dying of sickness.

»Before her spine collapses.« The doctor added a bit quieter this time as if he didn't want Selina to actually hear it.

»Can you do that here?« It was Bruce Wayne who dared to ask that question before Oswald could.

Of course, the boy hardly left Selina’s side these days. On the first day, Oswald had thrown him out of this room. After all, Jeremiah Valeska had only shot Selina to get to Bruce. It wasn't his fault and deep down, Oswald knew this too. That didn't change much about how he felt, though. Still, after going head to head with Alfred, Oswald had finally given up in trying to throw him out. He tolerated Wayne and Pennyworth’s presences at Selina’s room but he certainly did not welcome it.

»Yes.« The doctor replied. »But we have to do it as soon as possible. Today, perhaps.«

»Do it.« Oswald cut in before anyone else could say yet another thing. He wouldn't ask Selina about it. It wasn’t that he wouldn't value her opinion on the matter - it was her body, after all - but she was still a minor and he her legal guardian. She was his girl, his daughter and this was a decision he would gladly make for her. »Get everything ready.«

The threat behind his words was quite clear. The doctor better not mess up this surgery. Already, Oswald was at the end of his rope as of late. He needed food supplies for his workers in the ammunition factory. Otherwise, his business would soon die out and he would have nothing left to trade with the GCPD or even the Sirens - whenever Barbara Kean did not want to rip his head off for some reason or another. But that was not the worst about all of this.

»Where is Dad?« Selina muttered after the doctor had left and Oswald walked around the bed to sit down on the chair next to her gingerly. He had allowed Mr. Wayne to bid his farewell to Selina for now with the promise to return in time for the surgery. Under different circumstances, it would be cute. Bruce Wayne was very clearly in love with Selina and he knew for a fact that this was true the other way around also. Yet, it was still this affiliation that had caused harm to his girl and Oswald was known that he usually avenged the people he loved when someone brought harm to them. »Haven’t seen him in a while.«

»He … He is taking care of something at the factory.« Oswald replied with a soft smile while he let his gaze wander through the room. They could all deem themselves lucky that the hospital was still standing and that no one would attack this place - at least no one had attacked the hospital for now. Being alone with Selina in this room, except for Butch who stood at the door, felt very odd. It reminded him too much of the days he had visited Selina again and again in this very hospital after they got to meet at Jim Gordon’s apartment. History really did repeat itself, he supposed.

»You are a bad liar.« Selina replied with a small roll of her green eyes.

»I can assure you that I am a very good liar. Usually.«

Selina actually huffed a humorless little laugh at that. »Except when you try lying to us, huh?«

»Apparently, I have grown a tad bit soft.« He smirked and shortly glanced towards the door. Butch was guarding the door with a machine gun and tried very hard not to look at Oswald or Selina - or listen in to their conversation. The hospital was neutral territory but what did that really mean these days? Neither one of them was comfortable with having Selina reside here at the hospital instead of city hall with the rest of them. Gently he brushed a few strands of her curly hair behind her left ear. »I don't know where he is.« He finally admitted.

»Did you have a fight?«

»No.« He sighed but Selina’s questioning gaze prompted him to continue so that his answer might satisfy her. »He just … You know him. He’s doing his thing.«

»Don't be too harsh on him.« Selina hummed tiredly. »He is an idiot but he is our idiot. This is hard for him.«

»It's hard for all of us.« That night when everything had turned to hell, Oswald had felt as if the world was crumbling around him. Selina had been shot earlier that day and he had sent Edward with her as she should have been evacuated. Edward too had still been hurt after narrowly escaping from Tabitha. Apparently, Ed had thought that it was a great idea to rob Barbara’s old warehouse at the docks that very same day while the city was in turmoil. He had wanted them both safe. And then the bridges had been blown up and Oswald had been sure he had lost them both.

»Hey … We are still all here.« Selina mumbled and took a hold of his left hand. He hadn't even realized how he had balled it into a fist. »We are all still alive. Me, Ivy, Martin, Dad and you. Everything is going to be fine.«

How could she be so hopeful when she would never be able to walk again? The truth was, Oswald knew that she was not hopeful. He knew that she was devastated. Everything she knew had been ripped from her in the blink of an eye. The act had been so senseless! And still, she was holding up her tough facade to everyone around her. »I will rip this clown apart limb by limb when I find him.« He promised quietly.

»Oswald.« Butch finally called from the door. »It's time. We need to get going now.«

»Go.« Selina sighed. »I will be fine.«

»I will be back when it's time for the surgery.« Oswald promised before he pressed a kiss to her hand. »And until then Gabe will be here and watch over you.«

»Alright.« Selina forced a smile. »Tell him he better got my money if he wants to play poker again today.«

It was a charade. She was trying to put his mind at ease. Of course, that was not going to happen but she was trying and for that, he loved her even more. And yet he wondered what she might be like in this situation would she be all alone in the world. Maybe that she had a family behind her helped her actually. Maybe it gave her just a little bit of hope that everything might turn out okay in the end. She was not the same bitter young girl that he had met a few years ago in Jim Gordon’s apartment.

When he returned to city hall, he was fuming. Last time he had seen his husband was two weeks ago now. At this point, he was very much ready and willing to rip Mr. Edward Nygma a new one. He didn't even know what he was doing out there or what he was planning. Of course, they had agreed that Edward would do his own thing and for Oswald not to interfere and yet … how could he leave him alone in a situation like this?

»What if something happened to him?« Ivy later asked quietly as they sat together and had a very sparse dinner.

Barbara was still unwilling to trade with him. They were running out of food. Would he be alone here, would he still be the Oswald he had been two years ago, he wouldn't have cared if his workers or henchmen got something to eat. He would feast on a delicious steak and maybe even throw it to an ugly dog if it was overcooked while his workers were starving. These days, however, it was more important than the kids had enough to eat. Martin and Ivy were growing like weeds. He should have sent them away while he had the chance.

»Oh, he better be missing a limb or two when he returns, otherwise I am sure to rip  something off.« Oswald scowled. Of course, he didn't mean it like this. He was just as worried as Ivy was. Yes, what if Edward was in danger out there? What if he was hurt? What if he was dead?

Gotham was a war zone now and his enemies knew well how to get under his skin. They only needed to grab Ed or Selina or Martin or Ivy to get leverage on Oswald and make him do whatever they want. These days the nightmares were especially bad. Not a night would go by without him dreaming of the day his mother had died in his arms. He would never forgive Tabitha for that. He had thought about killing Butch as retaliation in front of her but, in the end, Butch had proven himself to be loyal and a real friend. He would hurt himself more than her. That didn't mean that he wouldn't blow Barbara’s head off if he would ever get the chance.

Still, the fear of losing someone else was almost paralyzing these days. He would dream of Selina being shot in front of him, he would dream of Edward with a knife in his stomach or of Martin and Ivy being held hostage and strung up like pigs for the slaughter. He hardly slept. Night after night he would roam city hall, peek into the rooms where the kids would be sleeping and just watch them for a while. It was the same routine every night. Maybe adopting those three and marrying Edward, creating a real family, had been a mistake. He couldn't appear weak now, after all. He had to be strong not only for his family and those who relied on him in his territory but also to keep up a front for the other bosses in the territories surrounding them.

Martin, on the other hand, did not seem to enjoy his humor, though. He had gotten very good at sign language at this point and would snap his fingers to get Oswald’s attention. »When is Dad coming home?« He asked quickly - so quickly in fact that Oswald had a hard time following him. »What if he is hurt? We have to go looking for him!«

»Don't worry, Martin.« Oswald replied softly and brushed his fingers through his unruly curls as he leaned over the table just enough. Even though they did not share DNA, Martin reminded him a lot of his husband and he had adopted quite a few quirks of him too. Unfortunately, his love for riddles was only one of those quirks Martin had adopted. »He is safe. We are all safe.« That was at least what he was hoping to be true. »And you guys will be safe later when I am back at the hospital too. Zsasz will return shortly and keep an eye on you guys.«

»I want to come with you.« Ivy frowned. She was a child still but certainly not as little as she had been when he first met her. She was developing into a beautiful young girl more and more with each day and though not helpless, still a little too naive for his taste. He wished, though, that they could all have dinner at the mansion and not here in this ancient building surrounded by heavily armed guards.

»You are safer here.« Maybe it was true what Barbara said. He was hiding himself and his family in here, only rarely leaving city hall as to escape every bit of danger while Edward outright seemed to look for danger out there. A part of him wondered if Edward would ever return or, if he was still alive, had abandoned them for good. Neither one of them was exactly cut out to be a family man. »It's better if I go alone. We don't want to overburden Selina. And I need someone to keep an eye on Zsasz.«

Ivy rolled his eyes at that but at least she didn't argue with him. She was perhaps a bit naive and not necessarily a total genius but she knew Oswald and she was smart enough to know that his patience was already wearing thin. Ivy knew better than most how easy it was to agitate him and make him snap. His words did not seem to change much about the worry both Ivy and Martin felt for Edward and their sister though.

Oswald, on the other hand, could only act the part. He had learned, over the course of those past years, that being a parent meant a great deal of acting, of keeping up a facade. He could yell and scream as much as he wanted at his henchmen and staff, he could freak out as much as he wanted behind closed doors and be paranoid at every twist and turn but when the kids were in the same room, he had to be confident and sure of himself. He had to act as if the state Gotham was in now was nothing too troublesome in his mind. Which was, of course, utter bullshit. All of this was just terrible and bad and it took so much out of him to just survive and keep his head above the water.

As he later arrived back at the hospital, the surgery was already in full-swing and Bruce Wayne was there too, of course, just as Mr. Pennyworth, that glorified babysitter. Gabe quickly briefed him about the events of the afternoon and how Selina had won nearly every game of poker against him when she had not been sleeping. At least that managed to pry a small smile from Oswald. He couldn't deny that he was proud of his girl’s sharp mind. And yet, Selina too was probably only acting the part. He knew that girl and he knew that, even though she was holding up well right now, would soon completely lose it.

He needed to help her. He needed to make it better. Somehow.

The surgery seemed to go smoothly as they watched from outside the room through the thick glass window. Of course, they couldn't see much but at least the machines that Selina was hooked to, gave rhythmic and steady little beeps and everyone inside the operation room seemed calm.

»I wished I could do more.« Bruce muttered after a while. He looked heartbroken. Even Oswald was able to recognize the anguish he was in. That didn't keep him from lashing out at that boy, though.

»I wished you wouldn't have dragged her into all this mess in the first place but we don't always get what we want, my dear boy. Of course, someone who was born with a silver spoon shoved in his mouth would need to learn that first.« He snarled. Would Jim Gordon be here now, he would say that he should go easy on the teen. Bruce hadn't wanted her to get hurt, after all. That didn't change the fact that she had gotten hurt because of him. At least it didn't change anything for Oswald.

»Mr. Cobblepot, I know you are worried for your ward-«

»My daughter.« Oswald corrected Alfred sharply right away with a glare. They were in a similar position, of course. Bruce Wayne was Alfred’s ward as Alfred had the custody of him after his parents’ death and yet their situations couldn't be more different. Selina, Ivy, and Martin were more than his wards. They were his kids. His. And he would protect them as fiercely as his mother had protected him.

»Your daughter.« Alfred nodded, his face always remaining serious. »But I don't think now is the time to throw accusations around like this. I can assure you that Master Wayne did not intent Miss Kyle to get hurt in any way. Had he known that she was in any kind of danger that day, he would have tried to protect her.«

»I appreciate your kind words, Sir.« Oswald snapped again. »But I’m afraid they have not much worth for me, or for Selina.« He shouldn't even be here. There was a war to fight and he should take care of his territory and keep his goons in check.

»I am sorry, Oswald.« Bruce finally addressed him. He remembered a night at the Iceberg Lounge when Bruce Wayne had bought a dagger off this auction that he had held. A night in which he so obviously had played the brat that Oswald should have been more suspicious. Of course, he had found out later, in the night as everything had turned to shit what this thing really meant and could do. Not that Ra’s al Ghul's death would have changed anything. »If I could rewind time and stop this from happening, I would do it. I never meant to hurt her. I never meant her to get involved in all of this. I want to help her in any way possible.«

It was then that the lights went out.

※※※※※※※

It was late when he came back to city hall. Calling it his home sounded wrong and yet it was not completely wrong either, he guessed. After all, this was where he was supposed to be anyway. When all of this had gone down, he had still been the mayor of Gotham, after all. It seemed only right for him to be here. And yet he missed the mansion. He didn't even want to know how his ancient family home looked now.  It was probably ripped to pieces already and the paintings of his ancestors used as firewood. His heart ached just thinking about it.

»Kids are asleep, Boss.« Zsasz greeted him as he walked through the large entry doors and past his heavily armed guards.

»Thank you Victor.« Oswald sighed. »That would be all for tonight then. Please go and rest now. We will need to pay Mr. Crane a polite little visit tomorrow. He stole supplies from the GCPD and the hospital tonight and we need to take it all back.«

»Roger.« Victor grinned. The thought of shooting up a place always excited him. »Oh and Boss, you have a visitor.«

»A visitor? This late?«

»Yes.« Victor grinned. »I sent him to wait upstairs in the bedroom.«

»What?« He gasped but was already rushing upstairs. »Have you completely lost your mind?« He didn't expect any kind of answer, of course.

His former office was now his bedroom but much too close to the rooms the kids would sleep in to allow any kind of stranger into the room this late at night. He didn't even waste time shouting at Zsasz for this. Instead, he hobbled up the stairs as quickly as he was capable of only to rush down the hallway and into his bedroom.

There was no way that Victor would endanger the kids in any way. He knew that. Yet, that didn't change anything of the rush of panic he involuntarily experienced. Of all the former offices inside city hall, this was the only room with an en suite bathroom. Of course, no one could expect the mayor to use the same bathroom as his staff. He was already drawing his gun for precaution after everything that had happened today when he stepped into the room and the faint glow of the fireplace.

He found the figure sitting on Ed’s side of the bed, tall and lanky, a disheveled mess with shaggy brown hair and glasses that hung crookedly from his face. »Look what the cat dragged in.« Oswald snarled and still held onto his gun even as he allowed the door to fall shut behind him. He was still debating if he should put a bullet into his husband or not.

He was shocked to find his husband here and though he was glad that Edward was still alive and breathing, his anger was overpowering. Ed turned his head just slightly. He looked like a hot mess. His face and hands seemed dirty and so was his green suit. Only very slowly did he raise to his feet.

»Where the fuck have you been?« He actually took a step back as Edward took a step towards him. He wasn't afraid of him, of course, he just wanted distance between them although a part of him just wanted to wrap his arms around him and kiss him, feel that he was alive. »What have you done? If you wanted out of this relationship you could have just told me!«

»What?« It was the first time Edward actually spoke to him for two weeks. His voice sounded tired and strained and a little raspy. There were stubbles all around his jaw and the closer he came the more Oswald realized that he smelled quite badly. »What do you- Why would I want to leave you?«

»That's what I’m asking you!« Oswald snapped back. Oh, he wanted to scream at him, throw a tantrum and perhaps even put another hole in his body - but Ivy and Martin were sleeping close by. »You just left two weeks ago and I never heard of you again! The kids are worried sick! _I_ was worried sick! Selina is in the hospital and you just vanish! You can’t do something like this, Edward!« Shooting him really was becoming more and more tempting. »And what the hell happened to you? You look like you’ve been dragged out of a dumpster!«

»I…« He let out a small groan before he dragged a hand through his messy hair and finally pulled off his glasses to rub his eyes. »I … It's a  long story … I need to lie down.«

»No, you need a bath.« Oswald growled. »You will not get into bed like this! And you will not sleep before I don't know what the fuck happened!« He pointed sharply at the door to the en suite and never let his eyes waver just a bit. To his surprise, Edward just sighed and nodded before he walked over to the door. Before he left him, however, Edward paused in the doorway.

»How is Selina?«

»She had surgery today. She is stable. You should have been there, though. You should have been there with me.« Only then Edward walked into the bathroom looking very much like a beaten dog.

Normally, he would follow him into the bathroom. Normally, he would help him strip and get in the tub with him. He was still craving Edward’s presence like a drug. He still needed to feel his skin on his own, his breath against his ear or his lips on his. He was angry, though. He was relieved, yes. But first and foremost he was angry. And so, after he heard the water running, he slowly started to remove layer upon layer of his expensive Italian suit to hang it carefully over a chair in the corner.

As he slipped under the covers of his lavish bed, he was only in his shorts. His men had stolen the bed and most other pieces of furniture that hadn't originally been in this building when everything turned to shit from some yuppie apartment down the road. They hadn't been thrilled to be assigned this task, of course. Not that Oswald would have cared. Or Ed, for that matter.

He counted the minutes while he listened to the sounds of splashing water from the bathroom. There was only a thin strip of light coming from the ajar door and shooting across the former office. Oh, how many hours had Ed and he spent in this room before everything had turned to shit? How often had Ed bent him over his desk during a late night visit from the Riddler when Oswald had been too engulfed in his official work? Almost this room held more memories than their home. It was here that their relationship had begun even though they had been subjected to many twists and turns ever since.

When Ed returned to him he was naked except for the towel around his hips that he dropped as he climbed under the covers. He had made it a habit to sleep in the nude. It was more practical he had once claimed with a wink. Now, as Edward lay on his back, Oswald noticed that he had actually shaved and combed his hair back a little. It had grown a little over the course of the last months. He desperately needed a haircut. Clearly, he was trying to get into Oswald’s good graces again.

»I’m all ears.« Oswald mumbled and propped himself up on his right elbow. Though he tried to keep his voice steady and neutral, the anger was still vibrating in it.

»I … I’m sorry.«

That was at least a good start. »I’m sorry doesn't quite cut it, Ed.« He frowned nonetheless. »We are married. Remember?« Sharply he raised his left hand to present Edward the thin golden ring that was meant to tie them together forever.

»We promised each other to stay together, to stay loyal to each other. We promised each other that we would not withhold any secrets from the other. Yet you just left me hanging in all this chaos. You can’t do this. And not just because of me, Ed. We are a family! Your life does no longer belong just to you! If you die … If you would get hurt out there … What about the rest of us? What am I supposed to do without you? You promised me to grow old with me and you better stick to that promise!«

Ed’s left hand found a way to his cheek as he brushed his fingers over his skin and before long, Oswald found himself on his back, Ed’s mouth pressed against his in a breathtaking display of hunger and relief all at once.

»I would never leave you like this.« He promised quietly as he parted from him only to drop his head heavily on Oswald’s chest.

»Then what did you do?«

»I … First, I needed to go because I wanted to find supplies.« Ed began quietly. »I wanted to scavenge the city and find supplies for you, maybe something you would be able to use or trade. And then, the longer I was away the harder it got to come back. I slept in alleys and on rooftops. I kept moving. I needed to get my head clear.«

He instinctively moved away from Edward at those words, pulling his body to the side as much as he possibly could but Edward was heavy and all he wanted to do was escape him. His words stung like daggers in his heart. »So, in other words, you needed a break from me and our family.«

»No!« Ed replied quickly. »That's not it at all! It was just … It was all too much suddenly. I mean … the bombs … Gotham falling into complete chaos. I almost died when Tabby stabbed me and then Selina … We weren't there when she was shot. I was too busy doing my own thing and robbing Barbara’s fucking warehouse! We should have been there. _I_ should have been there. I should have protected her and yet I couldn't. And then I couldn't even get her into safety later. I should have made sure that she got out of this city and not even that I could do! I felt so useless. I couldn't stand seeing her like this. I … It was too much. I felt like a total failure - like everything my father once told me finally came true. I didn't know how to cope with that. And I tried to help but it never seemed good enough. It never seemed to be enough at all. I should be able to help you. I should be able to support you in this war and I am just useless. And now Selina will never walk again and I … I can’t do anything about that.«

»Ed-«

»So, when I was out there, I started looking for Strange, actually. I thought if I could find him, he might be able to fix her.«

»Ed-«

»But I searched everywhere! _Everywhere_ , Oz!«

He pulled him in close again if just to make him shut up. In the end, he managed to pull Edward on top of him, allowing him to rest between his legs and combed his fingers through his hair. Usually, he didn't like it when Edward would lie on top of him like this. He was heavier than Oswald was and his bones would dig uncomfortably into his flesh. But it were moments like this when Edward was so clearly upset that he had found this position to be indeed very soothing for his husband.

»I know that it's hard for you.« He sighed. »It's hard for all of us. It's hard for Selina and for Ivy and for Martin. But when we want to get through this and survive this situation, we can only do this as a team - and you do know that I am not much of a team player.«

»You are horrible as a team player … You always scream at everyone.«

»Exactly and that's why I need you to help me calm down and not kill everyone who annoys me. Although our shortage of food would not be an issue then.

»You would first kill them and then eat them all.«

»I can assure you I am not one for cannibalism. I had people pie once and I can confidently say that human flesh does not taste like chicken.« Yet, he would do it again if he had to for any of the people he loved. If Barbara would put a human brain on a plate for him to eat in exchange for enough food to keep his operation running and feed his family, he would dig in with gusto.

»I wanted to come to the hospital tonight.« Edward finally admitted. »But then I heard what happened there and I … It didn't seem to be the right moment. I didn't want to make everything worse and then I thought you would probably not want me there anyway after two weeks of being absent like this.«

»It's not like you at all to hide from me like this.« Oswald found himself humming. »Do I need to be concerned about this new development?«

The way Edward snuggled even closer and shortly rubbed his nose against the crook of his neck sent shivers down his spine. He wanted to be closer, much closer than this, to the point when he would no longer know where his own body ended and where Ed’s body began. »No.« Ed then whispered against his skin. »I don't even know why it was so hard for me. It shouldn't be this hard. Not after everything we’ve been through. Never question my love for you, though.«

Despite the situation, despite the anger that was still boiling inside of him, he felt a smile tugging on his lips especially as Edward reached up to drive his fingers through his hair to mess it up. He didn't like it much when Oswald would have his hair styled to stand up. He liked it more when Oswald would wear his hair down and preferably with no product in it at all. He knew this well but having it up like this, made him look fiercer and more dangerous. He couldn't risk people not taking him seriously only because his husband liked it better if his face looked softer with his hair down.

»I was so afraid that something happened to you.« He admitted softly, allowing just a tiny bit of warmth to creep into his voice. Only here, behind closed doors, could he be this vulnerable without the fear of Edward using it against him. »I was so afraid someone might have caught you and would use you against me. I was so afraid someone had you and was doing harm to you.«

Edward’s hip bones dug into his stomach as he pulled himself further up his body to box his head in with his forearms as he placed them to either side of Oswald’s head. His breath was ghosting over his face like the soft warm breeze on a sunny day at the beach. He could feel Ed’s soft cock resting snuggly against his own like this. Not that he would complain. »I’m sorry.« He whispered too close to his lips for Oswald not to reach out to capture his mouth to shut him up. Perhaps now was not the time for talking and at least on that they seemed to be able to agree - like always.

His boxer shorts were gone quicker than he could do anything about it, even though he really didn't want to do anything about it anyway. It was so odd to him just how comfortable they were with each other's bodies at this point. With Edward, he didn't even feel self-conscious about all those scars littering his body or his crooked leg. Ed took him as he was and gave him the feeling he was the most desirable man in all of Gotham - perhaps the entire world even.

»I missed you so much.« He found himself moaning as Edward went down on him with sloppy little kisses. His tongue, and lips, and teeth devouring every valley and every rising of the muscles of his chest and abdomen. His lips grazed over scars, some fresh, some old but he tended to every little one of them, searching for new bruises on Oswald’s thin body and found none, only shadows of the past nightmares he had endured.

Ed’s wicked mouth went lower and lower. There was a chuckle escaping Edward as Oswald held his breath in anticipation of Ed’s tongue moving to where he really wanted it. Still, he jerked in surprise and muttered a small curse as Ed delivered a teasing little nib to his inner thigh before heat was engulfing his cock at once. Already Edward had vanished under the covers and a part of him hated that he couldn't see how Ed’s lips stretched around his cock but he allowed him the cover for a moment as he pressed his head in his pillow and let out another shuddering moan as Edward teased the head of his cock with his tongue.

Ever since Gotham had been turned into a warzone they had not often shared such intimacy. There had been so much to take care of, after all. They had been on their toes at all times. His body seemed overly sensitive after so long a time without stimulation and Ed, that cruel bastard, was always glad to torture him.

Ed meant to take his time tonight and he could feel that with every fiber of his being. It was as Edward forcefully gripped his right thigh to lift his leg onto his own shoulder to get more room between Oswald’s open legs, that Oswald finally shoved the blanket away. He needed to see. He dug the heel of his foot into his shoulder blade to draw him closer, to lure him further into pleasure. Ed’s mouth was silken heat and licentious pleasure around him and he needed more.

»Ed, please…« He muttered under his breath as he was fighting for control of his revolting body as Edward slyly applied his tongue along the ridge of his aching cock and followed it with the slightest, the gentlest, the most careful scraping of teeth over the sensitive flesh.

He couldn't resist bucking into his mouth and quickly reached down to tangle his fingers in Ed’s hair. He was not pulling or twisting his fingers, just keeping his hand there and mussing up Ed’s moist hair. The way Ed looked up at him with a low growl vibrating around his cock was almost enough to send him over the edge.

At this moment, nothing else seemed to matter. Not that Gotham was a warzone, not that multiple people out there were out for his head and his territory. Only the pressure that was rapidly building inside him, winding tighter and tighter mattered. The small pull at Ed’s hair was the only warning his husband would get from him and he knew by now that Ed would ignore that all too willingly as he continued his wicked machinations - expertly sucking at the head of his cock and taking him so deeply that Oswald was sure that his throat must hurt from it.

The feel of his hot mouth around him, the way Ed took him in finally forced the orgasm out of Oswald with a breathless cry. His spine arched upwards almost painfully after days of sitting hunched over maps and plans and documents. And Edward was none to waste even a single drop of what Oswald had to offer after he swallowed thickly.

As Edward crawled back up on his body to steal another kiss from him, he felt his hard cock dig into his stomach. Ed himself was painfully aroused but Oswald knew all too well that his husband would not demand him to repay the favor. He would be content with just kissing him until he would be able to function again while Oswald would lie underneath him, numb from exhaustion.

And yet it was Oswald who grabbed Ed’s right hand and gently guided it between his legs, allowed his fingers to brush over his perineum just slightly before he felt Ed grin against his mouth. »You want me?« He hummed against his lips but already teased his hole with his thumb before breaching the tight ring of muscle carefully.

»I never wanted anyone else as much.« Oswald replied quietly and with a soft little gasp as if this would be a secret that better stayed between them. As if no one could ever know how much he truly loved this man - despite his ridiculous green suits.

Ed’s grin was enough of a tell for Oswald even before Ed reached over to the nightstand on Oswald’s side of the bed. He made quick work of pulling out the upper drawer and getting the half-empty bottle of lube. He almost wanted to tell him that he should just move on without it but instead, he just bit his bottom lip and allowed Edward patiently to coat his fingers with lube. They had the whole night just to themselves and even if tomorrow Gotham would go up in flames completely, he would want to spend his last hours with Edward in this bed.

He moved against him to meet him halfway as Edward carefully pushed the first finger into him. By now, it seemed all so easy between them. Everything that was in the past seemed forgotten and no longer relevant. Not the betrayal or the heartbreak. All that mattered was them as a unit. No one knew his body better than Edward did and he made quick work of opening him up while he drew soft little moans from Oswald’s throat in the process.

Edward always liked to tease a little and he did so now too after he withdrew his fingers and gave Oswald a moment of feeling empty and unsatisfied before he was lining up his cock with his stretched entrance. First, he only teased him with the head of his cock, making it impossible for Oswald to look away from his face as he did. He wished he would be able to see what he was doing better but that would probably send him over the edge far too quickly.

Slowly, far too slowly for his taste, Edward plunged the head inside, teasing as he withdrew completely, again and again, drawing soft impatient groans from Oswald as he threw his head back into the pillow. All the blood was already rushing back into his cock just thinking about Edward claiming him. It was odd to him how big of an effect Edward still had on him.

His eyes fluttered shut the moment Edward finally had mercy with him and slowly shoved his cock into him completely, inch by inch, careful not to hurt him even though he knew quite well how much Oswald enjoyed the  pressure, the sweet pain and the little burn of Ed’s thick cock plunging into him, ripping him open and filling him to his desire. And yet, tonight everything was a little different. Ed took more time, he was slower than usual. He was gentle as he redirected Oswald’s right leg to close around his waist instead and let out an appreciative hum as Oswald put his other leg around him as well.

He leaned in deeper, not grabbing his hips as he would normally do but boxing his head in again to steal another deep kiss from his mouth that only prompted Oswald to wrap his arms around Ed’s neck and allow him to thrust into him slow and deliberately. This was not one of their usual rushed trysts between meetings or dangerous heists. This was lazy and calm, their moans barely audible between kisses.

Their hips rolled together synchronized in mutual pleasure as Edward let stars dance behind his eyes with every one of his long deep thrusts forward, brushing the head of his cock against his prostate almost too deliberately to leave him unaffected by it. His own cock was massaged gently by the friction of their bodies pressing together and every bit of movement that they shared. »I love you.« He breathed in between kisses as he gasped for breath before Edward could recapture his mouth again and conquer it with his tongue.

His entire body seemed to be one raw nerve at this point and everywhere Edward would touch him he felt like he was being shocked. In the warm glow of the fireplace, Ed’s body was glistening with sweat and he could feel tiny beads of sweat run down his own forehead. Surely, he looked a mess with his cheeks all red and his hair messed up completely. Not that Ed would care. He enjoyed it too much seeing him wrecked and knowing that he had done this to Oswald.

When he finally lost it, the small outcry was swallowed by their kiss almost completely and so was Ed’s as he followed him right over the edge in an instant. The feeling of his body constricting violently around Edward’s cock was almost too much. He was too sensitive, his body too raw and open as Edward lazily rode out his orgasm before he finally slumped down on him. He could feel Ed’s cum slowly dripping out of him and onto their silk sheets. The feeling was entirely too arousing to ignore it and yet he found no strength left in him now as he carded his fingers over Ed’s back and through his hair. His legs dropped almost lifelessly back on the bed and he had no desire to move at all. He just wanted to stay like this, Ed still sheeted inside of him neatly and fall asleep just like this. This feeling of being whole again at last after weeks of missing his other half was almost too good to be true.

»I missed you too.« Ed finally huffed gently against his naked throat and nuzzled closer, his nose brushing against Oswald’s skin.

»Tomorrow you will accompany me to the hospital.« Oswald mumbled tiredly. He could hardly keep his eyes open at this point. He had barely slept since all of this had started and even less so since Edward just vanished. »Selina needs you. Martin and Ivy need you. _I_ need you.«

»I know.« He sighed gently with his breath ghosting over his throat. »I know.«

They fell silent once again and broke apart only as they got too cold to ignore their blankets further. When Edward pulled out of him, he wanted to protest but allowed him to pull the covers over them both again before Ed pulled him into his arms. He took in a deep breath through his nose as he snuggled into his chest as if he tried to memorize his scent forever. Now that Gotham was a no man’s land, there was no telling how long either of them would be able to survive. Danger was lurking behind every corner and their sharp minds would not help them against a bullet right between the eyes. It was the fear of losing those he loved that would keep him up at night. This night, however, he had the feeling that he would finally find rest.

»I found Strange.« Edward then confessed quietly. »And we are going to have him help our girl.«

 

**-End of Chapter 13-**


	14. Glasses

He had warned him.

That was the thought that was echoing in Edward’s mind over and over and over again like a mantra on a loop. Like those stupid meditation tapes that his parents had forced upon him to calm him down and help him unwind before going to sleep when he had still been a child. _Your breathing slows. Allow your thoughts to wander off. Breath in deeply and release your breath slowly. In and out. In and out. Your thoughts wander with the clouds._

Bullshit. _I warned him. I did warn him._

He had told him that there was no need for those stupid glasses. It was much more a stylistic choice than a sensible anyway. Unlike his own eyes, Oswald’s eyes were sharp as those of a hawk - which had always been a minor detail that Oswald had liked to rub in his face in moments of utter boredom or friendly banter. There was no denying that he had looked god-damn hot wearing those red glasses, of course, and yet, in retrospect, Ed Nygma only wished that he had went without them. In the end, maybe it wouldn't have mattered anyway but they would never know this now. There was no way to rewind the clock and start over.

Getting ready for battle had been cathartic under the current circumstances and that they would be joining forces with the GCPD had been inevitable from the start, he supposed. There had been a part of Edward who had wanted Oswald to stay away from the battle - too afraid he might lose him. He almost had lost him, in the end.

The moment Oswald suddenly fell beside him, bullets flying past their heads, Ed had been certain his husband had been fatally wounded. The shock had resulted in a moment of inattention that had almost cost him his own life too had it not been for Butch shoving him out of the way. Butch. Who would have thought that it would benefit them that Oswald had opted against killing Butch so long ago? Thanks to Butch, the bullet had only grazed his left upper arm. By now, he barely felt the pain of it.

There had been so much blood.

Even now, as he sat here and stared at his trembling hands, he remembered the blood. It was still coated under his fingernails too. No matter how often he had already washed his hands, the blood just wouldn't go away. It would stick with him forever as would the memory of Oswald falling beside him, as would the feeling of being unable to protect the man he loved.

»He will be alright.« Lee’s voice echoed somewhere in the world outside of his head but he barely understood her words over the raging storm of gunfire in the distance. Only as her hand landed on his right shoulder was he able to snap out of his thoughts and cleared his dry throat with an awkward little sound. He had already discarded his green suit jacket to the side and loosened his favorite purple tie. His bowler hat too lay on the ground on the other two items. At the moment, he couldn't care less if he looked as bad as he felt. His white dress shirt was stained in blood and so was his black vest. Most of it was his own. More than enough was that of his husband.

»He will be pissed when he wakes up.« Ed found himself replying almost automatically, trying for humor and failing miserably. »Now he can’t hold my bad eyes against me anymore. He won’t like that.«

If he was going to wake up. That was what no one was daring to say. They didn't know if Oswald would wake up again. And even if he would wake up - no one knew how bad the damage would turn out to be, in the end.

»A little more to the left and he would be dead - I think he will get over himself in time.« Lee smiled. »Just tell him that a monocle is a very stylish and fancy accessory for a man like him.«

»He would never be down for that.« Ed huffed as Lee squeezed his uninjured shoulder and left him to tend to the other patients. They had set up a makeshift field hospital behind the GCPD under the cover of various old tents right after the bridges had been blown up weeks ago. Here, usually, all those in need of help would flock. The GCPD was a safe haven, after all. Everyone was welcome. Even people like Ed and Oswald.

The few doctors that still remained in Gotham were aiding the many wounded men and women who had fought by their side tonight. It filled Edward with pride to see Ivy navigating between the camp beds, tending to the wounded not only with the knowledge she had gained from the doctors and nurses around her but equipped with her own knowledge about the healing powers of certain plants. First, Ed had been certain that the nurses and doctors would disregard her methods but instead, they had quickly picked up on Ivy’s abilities and actually started to ask her for advice.

Hell, Oswald would be so proud when he would wake up and see his little girl thrive like this. But for that … He had to wake up first.

The bullet had grazed the right side of his face, just underneath his eye but the bullet hadn't been the problem, in the end. It were those damned glasses that he had insisted on wearing. As the bullet had hit him, the glass over his right eye had shattered into a million pieces and struck his eye before another bullet had hit Oswald square in the shoulder. Both bullets could have been deadly if the shooter would have been a better shot.

When Oswald fell to the ground, though, Ed had been certain that he was dead.

He had been knocked out cold, slamming the back of his head against the concrete just like this. Ed remembered Jim shouting for a medic immediately as Edward had crouched beside his husband, trying to assess the damage. He could still feel how he had pressed two fingers into Oswald’s neck - forcing himself to focus on being rational in this situation while all he wanted to do was gather Oswald in his arms and allow someone else to shoot him if Oswald really was dead. He still felt the beating of Oswald’s pulse, strong and stubborn, under his fingertips.

There was another hand landing on his shoulder in what seemed to be only seconds after Lee had come to him. Realistically speaking, though, quite a few minutes had probably already ticked by, though. This hand was smaller than Lee’s before he felt something heavier than a hand drop on his shoulder. He could see a mess of flaming red hair out of the corner of his eye even before he could close his right arm around Ivy’s narrow shoulders or before she had time to sit down on his right knee.

Her weight on his leg was comforting in a way. Weird how he would think that. He had never thought that he would have kids but here he was. She might not be his kid, just like Selina and Martin but in a weird and strange way, they were. They were his and having his daughter rest on him in this way was the comfort he needed to calm his nerves at the sight of his injured husband. The thing with Ivy was that they didn't always need words to understand each other. They were kindred spirits and Ed saw much of himself in that little girl. Ivy seemed to have a much easier time reading people than Selina had. She sensed when someone needed attention or just someone to lean onto.

»I should not be here.« Ed muttered quietly. »He would want me to be out there and help Jim and the others fight - I mean, what good am I doing here anyway? I’m just sitting around, moping … Oswald hates it when I mope.«

»It's okay to mope.« Ivy replied, her eyes focussed on Oswald’s pale face. Bandages were covering almost the entire right half of his face and his black hair was sticking out from underneath it in strange angles. He would throw a fit because Lee had messed up his hair. He was such a vain little monster at times. While Edward had made sure that their guns were ready and they would have enough ammo, Oswald had made sure that his makeup would cover up all those little old scars he hated so much. It was fruitless to tell him that he was the only one noticing them.

»He was lucky that he didn't lose his eye.« Edward huffed. »And all just because of his stupid vanity.«

Ivy chuckled at this. »He would make sure that only the best goldsmith would make him a new eye out of diamond and sapphires and wear it with pride.«

»He would, wouldn't he?« Edward smiled with a little roll of his eyes. It was just then that one of the nurses called for Ivy and the girl jumped up again. Hell, that poor thing was up and running for hours now. Certainly, her feet hurt and she was in dire need of rest. Still, she smiled her exhaustion away and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she left him alone by Oswald’s side again. As he watched her run over to the nurse, he felt his chest swell with pride. In the beginning, he had been terribly afraid that they would fuck up those kids even more than they already had been but as it seemed now, they had done at least something right, he supposed.

A groan pulled him from his thoughts and made his brain kick into gear again. Oswald’s left eye fluttered open with another little moan escaping his dry lips. It took Oswald a moment to adjust his sight back to the world of the living in the dim light coming from various gas lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the tent before his gaze wandered around the tan ceiling of the tent only to finally land on Edward who was sitting at his left side. He allowed Oswald to touch his left hand to his own face until he found the bandages obstructing his vision only to knot his brows. Only as he tried to sit and winced, pain shooting from his right shoulder through the rest of his body, was Ed gently keeping him down, his hands pressing carefully against his chest.

»Rest.« He muttered before taking Oswald’s left hand into both his hands. Relief fluttered in his chest. »You were shot. You need rest.«

»What's with my face?« Oswald’s voice was raspy and a bit hoarse as if he had slept for days. In fact, Edward didn't even know how much time had passed since he had come here with him. Hours, perhaps. Days. Weeks. »Oh God, I need a drink, Ed. I’m getting too old for crap like this. Please tell me I still have a face.«

»You still have a face.« Edward found himself chuckling even though he found no humor at all in this situation. The shock was still weighing heavily on him. The image of Oswald lying in a pool of his own blood would never leave him again. Every time he would close his eyes from now on, he would see it before him.

»But?« Oswald hummed as impatient as always. He looked tired and ready to fall back asleep immediately. A part of him didn't want him to fall back asleep. He was too afraid that Oswald might not wake up again. However, Oswald was not the type to allow himself any kind of rest. There was a war to fight, after all. »I sense a but coming.«

» _But_ « He began quietly. All of this felt so unreal - too unreal. Oswald was still alive. He had to remind himself of that again and again even now that he was talking to him and holding his hand. Oswald’s hands were always cold. He was alive. He had almost lost him and yet he was alive. He was here with him and he was not going to go anywhere. »Your eye got injured. I told you not to wear those glasses but you wouldn't listen.«

»Am I blind?« The question sounded neutral enough but Ed knew his husband better than anyone else. He could sense the flutter of panic inside his chest. Oswald was already dealing with the disability from his leg, the last thing he needed now was one blind eye. He knew that Oswald would not allow himself to flip his shit right here and now - not with so many other people around. Maybe because he didn't want Oswald to get even more agitated, Edward did his best to answer him as calmly as possible.

»We will see when we can take off the bandages.« He tried to play it cool - of course, he tried that. Sadly for Oswald, Ed knew his husband far too well to buy into his bullshit. He knew that Oswald was afraid. He knew that Oswald was worried to have lost sight on his right eye now. He knew that he was nervous and that he wanted to rip off his bandages and assess the damage. »You got shot in the shoulder too - the same one as last time - and hit your head pretty badly. Lee dug the bullet out and stitched you back together.You really shouldn't move.«

»Yeah, well, when do I ever do what I should do?« Oswald tried again to sit up and again Edward needed to push him back down. »Edward, there is a war to fight. We cannot sit around like this and do nothing, the fate of the city relies on us!«

Keeping him down with a hand on his chest, got increasingly harder and harder. No matter his injuries, Oswald was still strong and stubborn enough to actually try and fight against his hold. »To hell with the city!« Ed frowned. »You could have died! You almost died!« He tried to keep his voice down and not attract the attention of the other patients around them and yet all he wanted to do was shout at his husband until Oswald would finally understand the severity of the situation. »You can't do stuff like this to me, Oz! What am I supposed to do without you? If you would have been killed … I don't-«

The look in his left eye had grown soft after his initial surprise. »I’m quite hard to kill.« Oswald muttered quietly as if this would be a real answer to what Edward had just said. »You know that.«

Only a couple of weeks ago, Tabitha Galavan had pressed the muzzle of her gun directly against Oswald’s chest over his heart and squeezed the trigger. The old resentment and hatred between Oswald and Tabitha had only flared up again during the fight over supplies. He remembered the scream that ripped from his own throat as he had stumbled upon the horrifying scene and he remembered how the bullet had refused to do its job and just didn't explode. Maybe it was true and there was some kind of higher power watching over his husband, protecting him from harm.

»You are an idiot.« He sighed and drove his hand over his face. »I know _that_.«

»Besides - If I had died today, Ed … You would have been fine.« Oswald continued quietly while all Ed wanted to do was scream at him for his poor choice of words. He truly had hit his head quite hard. How would he ever be fine without him? Past experience would tell a different tale. »I would have wanted you to take over for me, you know that, right? You know that I trust you to do this, right?«

»I could never … I’m not the type-«

»Yes, you are.« Oswald smirked. »I showed you how to be the head of the underworld a long time ago, Ed. After all this time … It strikes me as odd that you still have so little confidence in your own abilities…«

It was actually Oswald who pulled Ed’s hand from his chest to his mouth to plant a soft kiss with dry, brittle lips to his wedding band. Not too long ago, they had tried to kill each other. Not too long ago, he had wanted him dead, had shot him in the gut to get rid of him. And now here he was. The thought of losing Oswald any time soon filled him with cold dread and left his limbs numb and heavy. But this was the world they were living in now. It was dangerous and harsher than ever and he could lose the love of his life at every twist and turn.

»Still, you can not just go out there and allow anyone to shoot you.« He mumbled. His voice was missing the venom he wanted to use. As always, Oswald had disarmed him with this small kiss and his words of reassurance. To think that Oswald held such firm belief in him was baffling. »Tabitha almost killed you the other day. If the bullet wouldn't have been a dud you would be dead now. And you can't do shit like this anymore, Oz. We have kids. We are a family.«

»Is this payback for me shouting at you a few weeks ago?« He actually had the audacity to chuckle at his words.

»Payback is a bitch and you are not going to go out there and fight anytime soon. You gave me a promise, remember? Now stick to it.«

 

**-End of Chapter 14-**


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